Putting others first...what you had to say. The poem Ode to Man says it all.

Hello there!

I was very gratified by your reaction to my IWSG post on putting other people first and using our gift for writing for the common good at this time of year when we're struggling with keeping our New Year's Resolutions or ambivalent regarding their worth.

I can't reprint them all, but if you missed the post and the sincere comments, go here. Here are just some extracts from comments:

Jen Chandler: 'Every little bit we can do to make someone's life brighter or someone's load lighter is a miracle.'

Melissa Sugar:  'I'm always striving to show my kids ways we can help better the lives of people who truly need our help and can benefit most from it. I see no reason why I can't use the Internet to demonstrate that.'

Donna Hole:  'I do what I can to help people, and hope others are doing their part too.'

Christine Rains: 'I do my best to be a good role model for my son in not only donating money and things, but donating my time to help others. Making others feel good makes you feel good too.'

Stephanie Faris: '...when we went through a flood, every dollar we received from friends and family made a difference. Most of the money that went to charity never reached victims...'

Alex: 'I'd rather help someone else than myself anyway.'

DMS (Jess): '...we can't give up hope! Sometimes things look bleak, but every smile, wave, kindness, dollar to someone who needs it does help. Good deeds are like ripples in the water and although we may not know the impact of each one, we also can't know what would have happened if we hadn't tried.' 

I was touched by the thoughtful comments. Thank you! We can make a difference~

Here is a poem I thought apt to the topic and the beginning of a new year,,,

"many things strange

terrible

clever

wondrous

monstrous

marvelous

dreadful

awful

and

weird

there are in the world

but none more

strange

terrible

clever

uncanny

wondrous

marvelous

dreadful

awful

and

weird

than Man

he sails across the sea in blasting winter

he ploughs the inexhaustible earth year after year

the race of birds

the tribes of beasts

the underwater creatures all

he drives into his net."

The Ode to Man, an amazing poem that resonates, even more so to know it is included in the play, Antigone, written by  Sophocles and his fellow Greek tragedians Aeschylus and Euripides around 441BC. (Modern translation by poet, Anne Carson).

'It is crafty and snakey and quicksilver, it's nifty and swift and strange...but it sounds utterly contemporary. You can smell the air of wordplay and ambivalence in the cascade of wonderstruck synonyms.' 

(Peter Craven, critic). 

Let's embark on 2016 trying not to be that Man.

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Have a great week!

And, yes, that is a new header...new year, new look. Do you like it? (Thanks to thecutestblogontheblock.)