Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Another Quote and a Challenge


I stumbled upon this quote and have taken it as a challenge.  It comes from Heinlein's vision of a "Competent Man" as spoken by Lazarus Long in Time Enough for Love. I haven't read the book, but like the quote.

"A human being should be able to:
change a diaper,       X  (four children)
plan an invasion,      
butcher a hog,          X  (Once helped a friend, turkey and chickens since)
conn a ship,             X (Sailed a boat?)
design a building,     X
write a sonnet,        X
balance accounts,   X
build a wall,            X
set a bone,
comfort the dying,   X (Parents and mother-in-law)
take orders,            X  
give orders,            X
cooperate,             X
act alone,               X
solve equations,     X
analyze a new problem,  X
pitch manure,         X
program a computer,
cook a tasty meal,  X (Tasty to me count?)
fight efficiently,       X (Twice in my life and at least a draw each time)
die gallantly.             (Some day)
Specialization is for insects." -Robert A. Heinlein

I've put an X behind those I have done, some with a small explanation.  The rest are on my "Bucket List"

3 comments:

Unknown said...

I like this Coach! Very well spoken and so true!

Steve said...

Trey,
It's been fun to think of other things that a person should be able to do.

On a side note, an older brother of two of our players is flying to visit Georgia Southern with the idea of playing baseball there. He is a good young man from a good family and the best pitcher on our local junior college team this year.

What if it's today? - A survivalist's blog said...

My list is almost the same as yours. Hope you never have to set a bone or plan an invasion. I've set a bone but never had to plan an invasion, unless you count against bugs and critters in the garden. I've butchered sheep and goats, not a hog. I think that can still get checked off! I don't think I'll ever check off programming the computer. That task will have to go to someone younger.