Learn to…be what you are, and learn to resign with a good grace all that you are not. – Henri Frederic Amiel

I think this means the opposite of what the most excellent Micki Wheelus, who I worked with at the Atlanta Journal & Constitution with, said:

If at first you don’t succeed, keep sucking till you do suck seed.

Micki, obviously a pistol, was a former Rockette, and a wonderful person. She taught me and my friend Michael to jitterbug and shag and foxtrot for our friends David and Lisa’s wedding, and one time when I was in dire financial straits, she told me about the payroll advance and saved my tail for me.

When she died unexpectedly, I think the whole paper was in shock. I don’t even know how they managed to keep classified running the day of her funeral, because we were all in Conyers for her service.

But anyway, those are both good pieces of advice, I guess, depending on what you need at the moment.