
The Old Sailor
(A.A. Milne)
Cos sometimes…. that’s exactly how you feel… š
There was once an old sailor my grandfather knew
Who had so many things which he wanted to do
That, whenever he thought it was time to begin,
He couldnāt because of the state he was in.
He was shipwrecked, and lived on an island for weeks,
And he wanted a hat, and he wanted some breeks;
And he wanted some nets, or a line and some hooks
For the turtles and things which you read of in books.
And, thinking of this, he remembered a thing
Which he wanted (for water) and that was a spring;
And he thought that to talk to heād look for, and keep
(If he found it) a goat, or some chickens and sheep.
Then, because of the weather, he wanted a hut
With a door (to come in by) which opened and shut
(With a jerk, which was useful if snakes were about),
And a very strong lock to keep savages out.
He began on the fish-hooks, and when heād begun
He decided he couldnāt because of the sun.
So he knew what he ought to begin with, and that
Was to find, or to make, a large sun-stopping hat.
He was making the hat with some leaves from a tree,
When he thought, āIām as hot as a body can be,
And Iāve nothing to take for my terrible thirst;
So Iāll look for a spring, and Iāll look for it first.ā
Then he thought as he started, āOh, dear and oh, dear!
Iāll be lonely tomorrow with nobody here!ā
So he made in his note-book a couple of notes:
āI must first find some chickensā and āNo, I mean goats.ā
He had just seen a goat (which he knew by the shape)
When he thought, āBut I must have a boat for escape.
But a boat means a sail, which means needles and thread;
So Iād better sit down and make needles instead.ā
He began on a needle, but thought as he worked,
That, if this was an island where savages lurked,
Sitting safe in his hut heād have nothing to fear,
Whereas now they might suddenly breathe in his ear!
So he thought of his hut ⦠and he thought of his boat,
And his hat and his breeks, and his chickens and goat,
And the hooks (for his food) and the spring (for his thirst)…
But he never could think which he ought to do first.
And so in the end he did nothing at all,
But basked on the shingle wrapped up in a shawl.
And I think it was dreadful the way he behaved ā
He did nothing but bask until he was saved!
Are you familiar with procrastination?
If so, then you probably know that the hard part is usually: to recognize the type of procrastinating you’re dealing with.Ā
- Is it a genuine need to rest and recover?
- Is it a genuine response to what’s happening around you?
Natural disasters, terrorist attacks, energy portals…Ā They can all play havoc with you -or create beautiful potentials- when you’re aligned to their frequency. - Or is your procrastination actually the result of a genuine fear you’re needing to face?
Hi! I’m Danielle and
I’m here to help!
Ā
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