i saw this quote and it touched my heart. it spoke to me of someone who wanted more out of life than to simply be miserable about the circumstances he found himself in.

he was a story teller. in one of his last posts on Facebook, he told of this conversation between himself and the old wooden stove that he loved:

At the farm this morning, I awoke with energy in excess and optimism in abundance. I am not sure why, but by the time I dressed and was headed for the kitchen, I found myself belting out the lyrics to The Man of La Mancha.

“To dream the impossible dream…to fight the unbeatable foe…to run where the brave dare not go…to try when your arms are too weary…to reach the unreachable star. That is my quest, to follow that stare, no matter how hopeless, no matter how far.”

The wood stove heard me and was moaning when I entered the kitchen. “I don’t think you should audition for a Broadway show.” Oh my before I can thank her for her understatement, she goes on. “You’re a farmer, not a crooner, and while you can push a wheelbarrow, you couldn’t carry a tune in one.” Oh my I guess she makes her views clear.

“You are more adapt at reciting poetry. Why don’t you spend your
time reciting Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘The Raven.’ You memorized it in high school and my guess is you still remember it.” Oh my she’s right. But talk about a transition from an optimistic song to the dark and sultry words of Poe in The Raven. A talking wood stove is more than I can handle. I don’t need a talking raven.

So I start to belt out the words that Frank Sinatra popularized in “That’s Life. That’s what people say. You’re riding high in April, shot down in May. But I know I am gonna change their tune when I’m right back top in June.”

Well that got the old stove laughing, she said, “Well their you go again from happiness to tragedy and back to happiness. That seems to be the way life often unfolds. Uncertain and unpredictable it is. You have demonstrated that life is kind of like riding a roller coaster–your not in control–and life has its up and down. You have been to the edge of the cliff more than a few times in life, but you have hung on and you need to continue to do that.” Oh my I guess she’s right.

I’ll hang on and hopefully do the best I can with what I am handed in life. I trust on this day your goal is the same. The best to you from the farm. -Winston Borden

he is described as an optimistic fighter…

this is my goal…not just today but each day…i want to do the best I can with what i have been handed…the seeds of life circumstances. i want to take and plant them and hopefully find they produced something beautiful and full of colour.

i hope you found his story to be as inspiring as i did.

thank you for stopping by,

D