G.K. Chesterton Quotes: Part 2

Here Chesterton begins with two great quotes on travel. The first well describes my snafu at the Hobart Airport. Had I remembered it, I would have been much happier thinking of it as the beginning of a grand adventure. And yes to the second, as my favorite activity arriving somewhere is not to grab the tourist brochures, but just take off wandering aimlessly— occasionally with some advice about good neighborhoods!

 

Before I said that comments will only detract, but here I can’t resist. The third perfectly describes my life both teaching and playing piano. And bagpipe.

 

Number four is a good reminder that my constant upstream battles— in my country, in any organization I’m part of, in the school staff meetings— are proof that I’m alive.

 

Number five is his comment on conspiracy theories long before they reached these epidemic proportions.

 

And in number six, I believe he is throwing down the gauntlet to all poets far and near. Any one want to meet his challenge? Here’s my attempt:

 

“When  I got down on my knees,

And asked her to marry me, please.

My long faithful beau, did shake her head no,

And said, “I would rather eat cheese.”

 

1) An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered.

 

2) The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see.

3)  If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly.

 

4) A dead thing can go with the stream, but only a living thing can go against it.

 

5) Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions.

 

6)  The poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese.