I'm certainly proud of the Senator from Illinois. I love poetry. I thought this would be a great time to share my favorite Kipling in dedication of Mr. Obama's campaign. Win or lose, he's made me proud to be an American.
IF -Rudyard Kipling
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
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 make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
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!
Please feel free to add your own inspirational quotes or comments as well!
UPDATE: Please note that I am in no way endorsing Kipling as a person. I had no idea that Kipling was a "racist douchebag" or "an unrepentant racist and oppressor" as other Kossacks have described him in the comments to this post.
I am citing this poem specifically because I believe the words appropriately describe Obama.
Some of the response comments on this post have stated that they are opposed to using this poem because of Kipling's political views and actions. I can only say that I still like the poem! I still think that it applies, and that fellow Kossacks are welcome to share their own ideals on whether a writer's political views have an effect on who their work can be applied to or who is allowed to read them.