Today is your day. You're off to Great Places! You're off and away!
You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.
It's opener there in the wide open air.
Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you. And when things start to happen, don't worry. Don't stew. Just go right along. You'll start happening too.
Oh, the places you'll go!
You'll be on your way up! You'll be seeing great sights! You'll join the high fliers who soar to high heights. You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed. You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead. Wherever you fly, you'll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.
Except when you don't. Because, sometimes, you won't. I'm sorry to say so but, sadly, it's true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you. You can get all hung up in a pricklely perch. And your gang will fly on. You'll be left in a Lurch.
You will come to a place where the streets are not marked. Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked. A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin! Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? You can get so confused that you'll start in to race Down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace... and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place ... for people just waiting. Waiting for a train to go, or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting. Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting.
NO!
That's not for you! Somehow you'll escape all that waiting and staying. You'll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing. With banner flip-flapping, once more you'll ride high! Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you're that kind of a guy!
Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all.
Fame! You'll be famous as famous can be, with the whole wide world watching you win on TV... Except when they don't. Because, sometimes, they won't.
I'm afraid that some times you'll play lonely games too. Games you can't win 'cause you'll play against you. All Alone, whether you like it or not, Alone will be something you'll be quite a lot.
And when you're alone, there's a very good chance you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants. There are some, down the road between hither and yon, that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.
But on you will go though the weather be foul. On you will go though your enemies prowl. On you will go though the Hakken-Kraks howl. Onward up many a frightening creek, though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak.
On and on you will hike. And I know you'll hike far And face up to your problems whatever they are. You'll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You'll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life's a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.
And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.) Kid, you'll move mountains! So, be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea, you're off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So, get on your way!
Dr Suess
Countries I've been to:
Canada ... obviously!
1. United States
2. Mexico (1994)
3. Thailand (1999)
4. Myanmar/Burma (1999 ... for all of 10 minutes so not sure it counts)
5. Laos (1999 ... for all of 30 minutes so not sure that counts either)
6. Singapore (2003)
7. Malaysia (2003, 2009)
8. UK (2008 ... but only on a flight stop-over so probably doesn't count)
9. The Netherlands (2009 ... again, just a flight stop-over but if I'm couning UK, gonna count this one too. Its my list, I can do that).
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