journal features

there's always a worse job

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-seven years and one million words

Halifax, 2004.01.19

The building where I work is glommed onto a structure that leads to a hotel lobby. As I was walking through a second floor passageway within this structure, I looked out over the hotel's large sweeping reception area. There was a hotel staffer stooping to scoop behind a hotel guest's dog. It was quite cold and snowy and generally it made my job seem quite pleasant (not that much of a stretch, really, cos my job isn't bad, but wow).

rand()m quote

It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by the dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat.

—Theodore Roosevelt, Jr.