Comments on: A Good Day For The Race http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2007/04/29/a-good-day-for-the-race/ Thoughts and photos from an American living in Spain. Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:42:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: erik http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2007/04/29/a-good-day-for-the-race/#comment-696 erik Sun, 29 Apr 2007 20:25:19 +0000 http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2007/04/29/a-good-day-for-the-race/#comment-696 A side note... My grandfather's joke doesn't make sense in Spanish, because the two meanings of "race", upon which the joke is based, are actually two different words. A "race" that you run in is a "carrera", and a race of people is "raza", which also means "breed [of dog]". Coming to Spanish as an outsider, I find it humorous that "carrera" also means "career". It's also the degree that you study at the university. When you graduate, you have "terminado la carrera" ("finished the race"). A side note… My grandfather’s joke doesn’t make sense in Spanish, because the two meanings of “race”, upon which the joke is based, are actually two different words. A “race” that you run in is a “carrera”, and a race of people is “raza”, which also means “breed [of dog]“.

Coming to Spanish as an outsider, I find it humorous that “carrera” also means “career”. It’s also the degree that you study at the university. When you graduate, you have “terminado la carrera” (”finished the race”).

]]> By: erik http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2007/04/29/a-good-day-for-the-race/#comment-695 erik Sun, 29 Apr 2007 20:08:00 +0000 http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2007/04/29/a-good-day-for-the-race/#comment-695 Thanks for that. Great comment! Very Seuss. <hr /> To the lawyers of Jamie Lee Curtis: If you find this page when looking for copyright violations of Ms. Curtis' book, I would like to apologize for my dear grandmother, who, in an attempt to share her appreciation for the book, has taken the time to type in its text into my blog. If you contact me, I will remove the comment and tell you where she lives. :-) Thanks for that. Great comment! Very Seuss.

To the lawyers of Jamie Lee Curtis: If you find this page when looking for copyright violations of Ms. Curtis’ book, I would like to apologize for my dear grandmother, who, in an attempt to share her appreciation for the book, has taken the time to type in its text into my blog. If you contact me, I will remove the comment and tell you where she lives. :-)

]]> By: JOYCE RASMUSSEN http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2007/04/29/a-good-day-for-the-race/#comment-694 JOYCE RASMUSSEN Sun, 29 Apr 2007 19:32:27 +0000 http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2007/04/29/a-good-day-for-the-race/#comment-694 I bought a children's book a couple of months ago called "Is there really a human race?" written by Jamie Lee Curtis and wonderfully illustrated by Laura Cornell. I thought it was a great book and I would like to quote it. The first part is a little boy talking to his mother, and the second part is the mother talking to the little boy. I hope you enjoy it. "Is there really a human race? Is it going on now all over the place? When did it start? Who said, "Ready, Set, Go"? Did it start on my birthday? I really must know. Do I warm up and stretch? Do I practice and train? Do I get my own coach? Do I get my own lane? Do I race in the snow? Do I race in a twister? Am I racing my friends? Am I racing my sister? If the race is a relay, is Dad on my team: And his dad and his dad? You know what I mean. (This had a marvelous illustration of a caveman passing a bone to his son, a Greek passing an olive branch, an indian passing a feather, a Puritan passing a drumstick, etc., etc., until the last man passes a baton to his son.) Is the race like a loop or an obstacle course? Am I a jockey, or am I a horse? Is there pushing and shoving to get to the lead? If the race is unfair, will I succeed? Do some of us win? Do some of us lose? Is winning or losing something I choose? Why am I racing? What am I winning? Does all of my racing keep the world spinning? If I get off track when I take the wrong turn, Do I make my way back from mistakes? Do I learn? Is it a sprint? A dash to the end? Am I aware of the time that I spend? And why do I do it, this zillion yard dash? If we don't help each other we're all going to CRASH." "Sometimes it's better not to go fast. There are beautiful sights to be seen when you're last. Shouldn't it be that you just try your best? And that's more important than beating the rest? Shouldn't it be looking back at the end that you judge your own race by the help that you lend? So, take what's inside you and make big, bold choices, And for those who can't speak for themselves, use bold voices. And make friends and love well, bring art to this place And make the world better for the whole human race." I bought a children’s book a couple of months ago called “Is there really a human race?” written by Jamie Lee Curtis and wonderfully illustrated by Laura Cornell. I thought it was a great book and I would like to quote it. The first part is a little boy talking to his mother, and the second part is the mother talking to the little boy. I hope you enjoy it.

“Is there really a human race?
Is it going on now all over the place?
When did it start?
Who said, “Ready, Set, Go”?
Did it start on my birthday?
I really must know.
Do I warm up and stretch?
Do I practice and train?
Do I get my own coach?
Do I get my own lane?
Do I race in the snow?
Do I race in a twister?
Am I racing my friends?
Am I racing my sister?
If the race is a relay, is Dad on my team:
And his dad and his dad? You know what I mean.
(This had a marvelous illustration of a caveman passing a bone to his son, a Greek passing an olive branch, an indian passing a feather, a Puritan passing a drumstick, etc., etc., until the last man passes a baton to his son.)
Is the race like a loop or an obstacle course?
Am I a jockey, or am I a horse?
Is there pushing and shoving to get to the lead?
If the race is unfair, will I succeed?
Do some of us win? Do some of us lose?
Is winning or losing something I choose?
Why am I racing? What am I winning?
Does all of my racing keep the world spinning?
If I get off track when I take the wrong turn,
Do I make my way back from mistakes? Do I learn?
Is it a sprint? A dash to the end?
Am I aware of the time that I spend?
And why do I do it, this zillion yard dash?
If we don’t help each other we’re all going to CRASH.”

“Sometimes it’s better not to go fast.
There are beautiful sights to be seen when you’re last.
Shouldn’t it be that you just try your best?
And that’s more important than beating the rest?
Shouldn’t it be looking back at the end
that you judge your own race by the help that you lend?
So, take what’s inside you and make big, bold choices,
And for those who can’t speak for themselves,
use bold voices.
And make friends and love well,
bring art to this place
And make the world better
for the whole human race.”

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