Unquote, Quote

 In the times  of spare necessities and sparse income, owning books was a luxury, and in our house, there was a well worn Webster's Dictionary, the traditional old family Bible, tattered and torn, and a paperbound World War I Memoir Book from my father's days of service. Later, when finances provided for more than the basic necessities, he bought a set of encyclopedias, displayed in a newly purchased bookshelf, the kind with the metal hairpin legs.

  But somewhere in those early days, I recall coming across a book of familiar quotations, not Bartlett's I'm sure, but maybe even an insert from a magazine or such. The quotations seemed largely based on the military. I remember reading them and thinking I could write things like that. Maybe I could be a writer of quotations when I grew up. I figured, given the appropriate circumstances, I could have said "Don't give up the ship, Fire when ready, War is Hell, Damn the torpedoes,  (when I was old enough to swear) and even I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country."  I wasn't sure about not firing until I see the whites of their eyes, but that was probably a one-time thing anyway. 

  I grew out of that stage, realizing it had been the singer, not the song, that had made those words immemorial. My next  career aspirations were to be based on a more realistic foundation. I had read a magazine account of a man who was widely sought out for his intensive knowledge of Shakespeare. He lived in New York City, but speakers and writers across the country, and even worldwide,  went to him for his expertise in  providing  the exactly appropriate Shakespearean quote when they wanted to make some salient point, and sound educated doing so. I had acquired a book, "The Complete Works of Shakespeare," loved to read, so I surmised I could read everything Shakespeare had ever written, and replace that master of Shakespearean quotations. Alas and Alack, I  never pursued that vocation, but just think how devastating it would have been to be replaced by google.

  But fame, illusive as it may be, has at last been captured. I understand someone, somewhere, has heard my words.   There IS more than one way to live a life.