Why is IF my fovorite poem?
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It is one of the few poems I memorized in school.
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It is straightforward, requiers very little analysis.
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It is conditional by definition.
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The title could be everyone's life story.
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The first two lines are very appropriate to my work; I'm the director
of a large computer support organization.
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It comes close to putting forth a philosophy of life in just a few lines.
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It used to be, maybe still is, written on the walls of a restaurant
called "The Apple Press" in Berkeley, California. I used to eat breakfast
there from time to time before classes. So the poem brings forth fond memories.
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Before my father died, I showed him my home page. When he saw I had "If" as my
favorite poem, he said it was his also. My mother laughed when she heard this;
she said it was always her favorite poem too.
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While I've never discussed this with my kids, it's something fatherly I would
like to share with them.
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It has a macho tone.
Howard Moscovitz
h@mosc.com