If Hemingway spoke at Commencement 2013 – SCN Encourager 5/16/2013

Short, memorable, and true always works…

Before Dos Equis beer introduced us to “the most interesting man in the world,” there was Ernest Hemingway.

He was the most interesting man before “the most interesting man…” – and Hemingway didn’t need Madison Avenue or some lame reality TV show to help him make his mark. (The cadre of high school English teachers who made his books required reading sure didn’t hurt, though!)

As many of us will hear a Commencement speaker (or two) in coming days, I wonder if any of us will hear anything that comes close to what he wrote about 50 years ago.

It’s brief, still relevant, and more challenging than ever.

It’s all Hemingway.

Before you act, listen.
Before you react, think.
Before you spend. earn.
Before you criticize, wait.
Before you pray, forgive.
Before you quit, try.”

It is reported that Hemingway agonized over every word that he wrote; and in his own salty language he described having to throw out 20 pages of “crap” before composing one page he could keep.

No doubt if he were alive today, he wouldn’t give a hoot about being tweetable, Facebookable, or digital poster-ready.

How’s that for interesting? (and oh, so rare…)

Tom Page, SCN