Extra Miles Poem by M.J. Lemon

Once again, with humour and great insight, you've come up with a very insightful poem. Excellent, M.J.! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

thanks for the Poet's Notes! i sense that the poet is pro-cliches, at least in some cases, but then i'm not sure after reading some comments and some of his responses. ========================================== Nosheen Irfan’s comment: (5/19/2017 4: 04: 00 AM) “Wisdom in three lines. Conventionality is a huge hindrance to progress. The way it binds you is very frustrating but it's not easy to get rid of it. AND: the poet's response to the comment: Mj Lemon (5/19/2017 12: 29: 00 PM) Exactly, Nosheen! There are things and practices that may seem convenient in the moment, but they in fact rob of long-term or profound benefits. Thank you so much. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ***But, what does BRI think of the above? ? ? ? ? ? ;) ================================================ Merriam-Webster Logo SINCE 1828 Conventionality noun con•ven•tion•al•i•ty \ kən-ˌven(t) -shə-ˈna-lə-tē Definition of conventionality plural conventionalities 1: a conventional usage, practice, or thing 2: the quality or state of being conventional; especially: adherence to conventions NEW! Time Traveler First Known Use: circa 1834 ================================= Dictionary con•ven•tion•al kənˈven(t) SH(ə) n(ə) l/ adjective adjective: conventional 1. based on or in accordance with what is generally done or believed. a conventional morality had dictated behavior synonyms: normal, standard, regular, ordinary, usual, traditional, typical, common a conventional railroad unoriginal, formulaic, predictable, stock, unadventurous, unremarkable; informal hum drum, run-of-the-mill a conventional piece of work antonyms: original o (of a person) concerned with what is generally held to be acceptable at the expense of individuality and sincerity. o (of a work of art or literature) following traditional forms and genres. conventional love poetry synonyms: orthodox, traditional, established, well established, accepted, received, mainstream, prevailing, prevalent, accustomed, customary the conventional wisdom of the day conservative, traditional, traditionalist, conformist, bourgeois, old-fashioned, of the old school, small-town, suburban; informal straight, buttoned-down, square, stick-in-the-mud, fuddy-duddy a very conventional woman antonyms: unorthodox, radical, Bohemian o (of weapons or power) nonnuclear. agreement on reducing conventional forces in Europe o Bridge (of a bid) intended to convey a particular meaning according to an agreed upon convention. Origin late 15th century (in the sense ‘relating to a formal agreement or convention’) : from French conventionnel or late Latin conventionalis, from Latin conventio(n-) ‘meeting, covenant, ’ from the verb convenire (see convene) . Translate conventional to Use over time for: conventional *** I find it VERY UNFORTUNATE that with more than one (and sometimes MANY) definition(s) , a word can be used so as to leave a reader wondering what is being said. According to the above definition of “conventional”, it can mean “normal” and “accepted”, but it can also mean either: “square, stick-in-the-mud, OR fuddy-duddy”, all of which I feel have a negative ‘feel’ to them. What Nosheen considers “progress” may not be what I consider progress, or at least not progress towards a better ‘thing’ or ‘way’. With “progress” can come undesirable side effects, e.g. the internal combustion engine allows for more rapid travel, but also pollutes the air and causes fighting over the oil and gas in the ground. Does anyone disagree totally with me? ? Bri ;) I like clichés, but probably seldom use one. I actually thought the poem was finding favor with clichés, and was surprised some by some of the comments and poet responses, though I did NOT read them all.

I'm nearly as old as the hills and may not be as clever as a fox...certainly most times I'm as meek as a lamb but today I am brave as a lion so I have to say in the nick of time that the writing is on the wall. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step and we don't need to be fit as a fiddle to do it. So all is well that ends well because every cloud has a silver lining.

Wisdom in three lines. Conventionality is a huge hindrance to progress. The way it binds you is very frustrating but it's not easy to get rid of it. A10.

Sometimes cliches become so necessary, though they may be outdated....! It is always better to offer some novelty, but may not be possible all the time! An insightful write!