If— by Rudyard Kipling (selected verses)
If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!
If is a powerful word. If can be dreamingly positive. If can be an incredibly painful as well. If is a bridge word. If spans reality and possibility.
If seldom stands alone. If is usually combined with other words that indicate what type of bridge the particular if is.
As if... = Comparison bridge (or '90's mall-bang girl bridge)
If... then... = Decision bridge
If only... = Regret bridge
What if... = Possibilities bridge
It is these last two Ifs I'd like to consider - If as the bridge to regrets or the bridge to opportunities. As I stated earlier, If spans reality and possibility. If is the bridge to what could have or should have been. If is the bridge to what can be. It is our choice which If bridge we will walk. But we must make it.
(I'll pick it up from here in the next post. And I promise to use the word If less!)
For now...
D
