Bird Droppings December 9, 2025
Can you give it one more try?

“You win some, you lose some, and some get rained out, but you gotta suit up for them all.” Satchel Paige is often attributed to J. Aisenberg

In my high school teaching days, teachers at my school judged seasons by testing, not by weather. My oldest son and I were conversing yesterday after he stopped by from school. He got me thinking back, sitting here this morning, trying to sort through what test practice we should do, then, after test practice, we will simulate test questions and responses. The vocabulary test is next, and maybe a review game. Alright, the lesson plan is nearly done. It takes five minutes to cover photosynthesis. However, on the weather front, my herb garden is nearly gone, as all the salvias took a beating yesterday from the cold. My angel trumpet plants have finally gone by the wayside, although after literally hundreds of blooms, they had a good run. I am ready for summer, and officially, it is not winter yet. As I thought, sitting here, I liked this quote to start my day today. Often, when I stumble on a quote, I try to find who this person is. J. Aisenberg proved a bit difficult; I found this quote 160 times in sermons and lectures and various quote engines, but not who this person was other than a writer. Then, on looking again, I found that this morning it was Satchel Paige who first said it, and Aisenberg is often attributed.

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” Calvin Coolidge

“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” Thomas A. Edison

It has been some time since I had the chance to ride into Atlanta with my middle son; we were comparing football games from the previous weekend. Now, he and several other Georgia Tech fans and graduates have a running blog site, of course, featuring Tech’s various athletic teams, although he is seldom involved anymore. My son is a graduate and a very big Georgia Tech fan, having been a former driver of the Ramblin Wreck and an avid member of the Swarm and Ramblin Wreck clubs. Many months ago, we got talking about a young man who went to the University of Georgia from the Air Force Academy; I recall our conversation. This young man joined the football team and became the starting Fullback. This young man perseveres, and many of the stories at our high school are about him. One thing my son brought up was how, in Calculus, it would take him 45 minutes to get problems that others got in 10 minutes or less. The interesting thing was that he was the Salutatorian of his graduating class, and he never quit.

“Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another.” Walter Elliot

“History has demonstrated that the most notable winners usually encountered heartbreaking obstacles before they triumphed. They won because they refused to become discouraged by their defeats.” B. C. Forbes

“Some men give up their designs when they have almost reached the goal, while others, on the contrary, obtain a victory by exerting, at the last moment, more vigorous efforts than ever before.” Herodotus

Each step we take in life can be difficult; each new pathway we face as we plod along can have more bumps than the last. It is through effort that we reach the place we are going. What if life were so simple and there were never difficulties? What if the road were straight and clear, and only forward momentum were needed? I remember many road trips out west and roads that were perfectly smooth, no potholes, and straight as an arrow for many miles; it was all I could do to stay awake. Life would be so boring without a bump or a curve in the road, or perhaps a fork to choose from as we go.

“We can do anything we want to do if we stick to it long enough.” Helen Keller

Most folks will not remember Helen Keller and may have seen the many different versions of “The Miracle Worker.” Annie Sylvan was a teacher who wouldn’t give up on her student, Helen. Helen was blind and deaf, and Annie found a spark and hope. With Annie’s help, Helen would go on to address world leaders in her public life.

“Most people give up just when they’re about to achieve success. They quit on the one-yard line. They give up at the last minute of the game, one foot from a winning touchdown.” H. Ross Perot

“It’s not so important who starts the game, but who finishes it.” John Wooden

If you ask who the greatest coach in college basketball of all time was at my house, John Wooden will be a unanimous pick. As I read this Woodenism, it is so true; so many students and teachers start, but at first, when the difficulty comes, they quit. It could be a difficult student who does not conform to a set pattern and way of doing things, or a new teacher who comes to a class of students who are all ready to quit. There are answers; there are solutions if we choose to look. Edison had a barrel of failed light bulbs as a reminder as he continued to find a workable one. It is about not quitting; the answers are there when you give it one more try. Please keep all in harm’s way on your mind and in your heart and always give thanks to namaste.

My family and friends, I do not say this lightly,

Mitakuye Oyasin

(We are all related)

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