1 EAGLETON NOTES: On Being Right

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Monday 12 December 2016

On Being Right

Here lies the grave of Jeremy Day.
He died defending his right of way.
His way was right.
His will was strong.
But he's just as dead as if he'd been wrong.

(This is a poem I have used since I was a teenager. It is in my journal from that era. I cannot find an original source and I have none specified in my journal. I cannot believe that it is an original of mine although I would like to believe that. If anyone knows the source I would be grateful if they would say so.)

14 comments:

  1. It reminds me of something I saw which said that apologising doesn't mean you are wrong, it means you value the relationship more highly than being in the right.

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  2. For some reason, this reminds me of the funny things written on tombstones. I don't know if it was real, but I liked the one that said, "I Told You I Was Sick". That's funny!

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  3. I can't help you on this one but the poet had a great idea.

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  4. "Here lies the body of Johnny O'Day
    Who died Preserving His Right of Way.

    He was Right, Dead Right, as he sailed along
    But he's just as dead as if he'd been wrong"

    quoted by Eric Hiscock in "Cruising Under Sail", Oxford University Press, 1st edn, 1950.

    Read more at http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?33107-Poem-He-was-just-as-dead&s=c803e43199b2dfedcb80616bbba0c4ce#cp1ddgfaPpjjLzhM.99

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    1. Thank you Glo. I'd Googled it (of course) and had no luck. At least I now know that it wasn't one of my original ditties.

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  5. I love it! And I'd claim it for my own if there are no other takers, Graham.

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    1. Frances I'd have loved to have claimed it for my own but it appears that it was not mine after all.

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  6. It did seem to me that I may have heard it (or similar) before. But for all I know, it may have been you quoting it before...! :)

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    1. That is entirely possible Monica. It has been a favourite saying of mine for many decades.

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  7. I've heard something similar before. From a Greek taxi driver in Sydney when another driver failed to give way to him. It sounded highly amusing when quoted with many shrugs and much arm waving.

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