Monday, April 9, 2012

Florence Foster Jenkins

"Use what talents you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best." ~ Henry Van Dyke

So I was thinking about Florence Foster Jenkins yesterday. Here's the Wikipedia article about her. She lived from 1868 to 1944, and she was a singer.

By all accounts (and some extant recordings bear this out), she wasn't a very good singer, but she didn't let that stop her. She enjoyed it, and she was determined, and she performed at Carnegie Hall on October 5, 1944, when she was 76 years old.

Asked to compose her own epitaph, she stated: "Some people say I cannot sing, but no one can say I didn't sing." To which I say, "Brava! You go, girl."

Knitters may or may not be singers, but we can (and should) be fearless when it comes to our projects. Remember, it's only sticks and string, and you're the boss of it. If you need inspiration, laminate her photo and put it in your knitting bag. (Click the picture at right for a larger version.) I think she'd approve.