Service

What does service mean to you?
How does one serve without having their energy sucked from them eventually?
Are we supposed to be able to serve without ever needing to be acknowledged?
What is it about me that I have never been one to put alot of effort into serving stuff that doesn't directly affect me?
Where does the cynicism come from that says that people just want you to 'serve' so that they can get the best out of you and not have to pay you what you are worth?

I know, I know...this is the blog, not the "Konkin Question" page. But I really would love to have this dialogue with somebody. Somewhere. Out there. Please? It's lonely in here.

Speaking of Service, Caitlin recently gave me back a borrowed copy of Robert Service's poetry. I will share with you one of my favorite poems of his...well, one of my favorite SHORTER poems of his....Again, I see that this should probably be a "Find", but let's overlap departments today, shall we?

The Quitter

When you're lost in the Wild, and you're scared as a child,
And Death looks you bang in the eye,
And you're sore as a boil, it's according to Hoyle
To cock your revolver and . . . die.
But the Code of a Man says: "Fight all you can,"
And self-dissolution is barred.
In hunger and woe, oh, it's easy to blow . . .
It's the hell-served-for-breakfast that's hard.

"You're sick of the game!" Well, now, that's a shame.
You're young and you're brave and you're bright.
"You've had a raw deal!" I know -- but don't squeal,
Buck up, do your damnedest, and fight.
It's the plugging away that will win you the day,
So don't be a piker, old pard!
Just draw on your grit; it's so easy to quit:
It's the keeping-your-chin-up that's hard.

It's easy to cry that you're beaten -- and die;
It's easy to crawfish and crawl;
But to fight and to fight when hope's out of sight --
Why, that's the best game of them all!
And though you come out of each gruelling bout,
All broken and beaten and scarred,
Just have one more try -- it's dead easy to die,
It's the keeping-on-living that's hard.

I love Mr. Service and his Yukon connection and his message to me on a day when It feels sorta like all this 'trying' is getting me nowhere. CSL let me know they aren't going to hire me. One job down. Could open Jo Design and work for myself, but without Jo's willing participation, the idea is drained of inspiration. Part of me wants to let this drag me under....another part of me is whispering "it's dead easy to die" and draws on my grit and concentrates on all the Potential jobs and paths and doors open that I can walk through.

Hell-served-for-breakfast, but I'm eating eggs.