I enjoy all kinds of books: fiction, how to, biographies. As a toddler I loved when my mother read to me and remember her own difficulty in putting down a good book. She would balance a book on the windowsill while washing dishes. Reading is a family tradition I loved passing on to my daughter an now my grandchildren. Because I love books, I was very intrigued by a recent story on NPR’s Morning Edition. The reporter recounted how Theodor Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, became the acclaimed creator of so many fond memories with its trademark rhythm and rhymes.
Apparently Geisel was taking a boat from Europe to the US. – an eight day voyage in the days before TVs and the Internet. He found himself lulled by the rhythm of the engine and began to write to that melody. The result was “And to think that I saw it on Mulberry Street.”
The manuscript was rejected several dozen times. One day by chance, Geisel was walking down the street when he happened to run into an old friend who inquired about the children’s book. Geisel said he was giving up. He was going to get rid of the manuscript and move on. The friend, who had just accepted a job with a publishing company, asked to read it. He loved it, published it and the rest, as they say, is history.
Yep, after all the rejections, Geisel gave it one more shot. Persistence and the faith of one friend, gave millions and several generations characters to laugh and love and rock out to.
Lucky us.
Seuss had a friend who made a plan.
We all need to have faith and a friend.
Even after rejection, we only need one yes to make it work and then you can celebrate with Green Eggs and Ham.
