The Dr. Seuss Waiting Place

To celebrate birthdays in my classroom, I have kids pick out a book (or the beginning "hook" chapter of a book) that I will share with the class during a read-aloud. It's a fun way for kids to become familiar with new books and share their treasured favorites.

One kid recently brought it Dr. Seuss's "Oh the Places You'll Go!" I remembered that this book came out around the end of my high school career and I thought it was cute and graduation-y. Hearing it many many years and experiences later, though, it just delighted me with its universal truths, and yet I had to fight tears the whole time I read it to the kids. (Not an easy feat. I've fought tears reading aloud Lois Lowry's "Number the Stars" and, more recently, the last chapter of "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing," where the main character's turtle dies. Ryan had an interesting experience reading "The Velveteen Rabbit" last year to our nieces. I whispered to him, "Are you sure you want to read that aloud? It's a tear-jerker." He went forward bravely and, well, I'll let him share the rest with you someday...I dare anyone to read THAT story aloud.)

Anyhow, I found the words to "Oh the Places You'll Go!" online and pasted them below. The waiting part really got to me. As pre-adoptive parents our lives are moving forward on every level and we love the life we continue to build together. This week off for me has been a flurry of fun things I've wanted to catch up on: I planted asparagus yesterday, planted some things in Dad and Mary's garden in Duxbury, got the first part of our electricity audit done(from the electric company..did you know that it is FREE?), worked on fixing our eroding hill, made the BEST pistachio and cherry ice cream this world has ever seen, caught up on some great books, saw some family, caught up on some calls, met my adorable new nephew (he's not doing tricks or telling jokes yet, though. Strange.), I'm getting ready to hold a yard sale, etc. Things continue to flow, develop, and delight us. Ryan is making terrific progress in his music, and I'm just LOVING my art class. The flowers and trees are blooming, and I find myself walking the neighborhood with this goofy grin on my face. I feel like frickin' Snow White. :)

But one part of you -- the parent part -- always feels on hold, like walking down the hallway of an airport, and people have hopped on the speedwalk (I had to look that word up!) and are moving so fast and effortlessly that you get the feeling you're standing still at times. It doesn't mean you're not moving towards a destination/gate or enjoying the walk. But it just feels like you're eternally on hold and you secretly wonder if you'll ever really get to where those other people seem to be going. Looking at it logically on paper, your brain snips, "Well of course we're going to get there." It's just at times interesting convincing your heart that it really will happen. (If as a child you waited for the sky to lighten on Christmas morning so you could waken your parents, you might have an inkling of what this process feels like.)

That's not to say that these thoughts and wonderings are all-consuming. They just are what they are and happen now and again.

Anywho, here are the words to the story. Enjoy! (And I dare you to read this aloud to someone and not get choked up.) ~Katrina

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

Congratulations!
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.

You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any
you'll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you'll head straight out of town.

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 the 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
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.

You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You'll be left in a Lurch.

You'll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you'll be in a Slump.

And when you're in a Slump,
you're not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.

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 you elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

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 a 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 sting 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 3 / 4 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!