Oh, the Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss

As my senior year comes to a close, I know many of us will need a boost of confidence no matter what's ahead for us. This book is perfect! This morning as Mrs. Reitz my Psychology teacher read this book, flood of memories rushed through my head.

“Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” was the last children’s picture book Dr. Seuss wrote and illustrated. This book is Dr. Seuss’s point of view of life and the circumstances of life. It is an inspirational book that is great for giving to an upcoming graduate just like all of us graduating high school. This book is filled with unique illustrations and rhyme. It tells us that we can be things we want to be and with a little work and power we’ll get there! This book encourages the other to go and make things happen! It says that “bang- ups and hang- ups can happen to you,” but in the end “you’ll move mountains.” The theme in this book is that everyone is going to run into problems. The idea is that no matter what downfalls you face you will be able to pick up and shake it all off and move forward with life. Though the book represents having good morals, it has poor representations of the world. Why does it have to be a white male? If the character were to be a female or different race how would that make the story different?  Regardless of someone’s color, sex, gender, ethnicity everyone goes through a bad time and this book encourages you to press on and not simply sit around waiting for something to happen to you.

“I’m sorry to say so
but, sadly, it’s true
that Bang- ups
and Han- ups
can happen to you.”

This part of the book has a unique rhyme scheme to it. ABCCB. It suggests life will have its up’s and down’s because life has to balance out.

'...for people just waiting
Waiting for a train to go
Or a bus to come, or a plane to go
Or the mail to come, or the rain to go
Or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
Or the waiting around for a Yes or No
Or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.”

The most destructive thing smart people do is spend their lives waiting. This part of the book suggests people with lofty dreams and imaginations get distracted with ordinary events. Waiting is so much easier for a person to do because it’s easy to walk off from your goals and completely enter the waiting place. I am saying I’ve been in this waiting place before. But through that I’ve learned to rationalize and continue with life fulfilling a goal I want to accomplish. As I continue to fight I hope to do something in my life that will impact people.

And I end my blog with this to all of us upcoming graduates of 2013,

“CONGRATULATIONS!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!”