You're off to great places, you're off and away.

You have brains in your head you, have feet

in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.

You're on your own, and you know what you know,

and you are the guy who will decide where to go.

You'll look up and down streets, look em' over with care.

About some you will say, I don't choose to go there.

With your head full of brains, and your shoes full of feet.

You're too smart to go down any not so good street. And you may not find

Any you'll want to go dow, in that case of course you'll head straight out of town.

It's opener there, in a wide open air. Out there things can happen

and frequently do to people is brainy and footsie as you.

And when things start to happen don't worry don't stew,

just go right along, you'll start happening too. Oh the places you'll go.

You'll be on your way up you'll be seeing great sites you'll have joined the

high-flyers

who soar to high heights. You won't lag behind because you'll have the speed.

you'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.

Wherever you fly you'll be best of the best.

Wherever you go you will talk all the rest.

Except when you don't, because sometimes you won't.

I'm sorry to say so but sadly it's true

that bang-ups and hang ups can happen to you.

You can get all hung up in a prickly perch

and your gang will fly on, you'll be left in a lurch.

You'll come down from the lurch with an unpleasant bump, and the chances are

then

that you'll be in a slump. And when you're in a slump

you're not in for much fun, and slumping yourself

is not easily done. You'll come to a place where the streets are not marked,

some windows are lighted but mostly they're darked. A place where you could sprain

both your elbow and chin

Do you dare stay out, do you dare go in? How much can you lose,

how much can you win. Snd if you go in should you turn left or right

or right and three quarters or maybe not quite.

Or go around back and sneak in from behind

simple it's not I'm afraid you will find for a mind maker-upper

to make up his mind. you can get so confused that you'll start in to race

down longer wiggled roads at a break necking pace and grind on for miles across

weird-ish wild space, headed I fear

toward a most useless space. The waiting

place. 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 waiting around for a yes or a no.

Or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone

is just waiting. Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for the wind to fly a

kite,

or waiting around for Friday night or waiting perhaps

for their uncle jake or a pot to boil

for a better break or a string of pearls

or a pair of pants for a wig with curls

or another chance everyone is just

waiting. No! That's not for you

somehow you'll escape all the waiting and staying. You'll find the bright places

where the boom bands are playing. With banner flip-flapping

once more you'll ride high, ready for anything under the sky,

ready because you're that kind of guy.

Oh the places you'll go. There's

fun to be done there are points to be scored.

There are games to be won. And the magical things that you can do

with that ball will make you the winningest winner of them all

Fame, you'll be famous as famous could be,

with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don't because sometimes they won't. I'm afraid that sometimes

you'll play lonely games too. Games you can't win because they'll play against you.

All alone, whether you like it or not,

alone will be something you'll be quite a lot. And when you're alone

there's a good chance you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.

There are some down the road between hither and yon

that can scare you so much you won't want to go on. But on

you will go though the weather be fowl, on you will go

though your enemy prowl. On you will go

though the hawking cracks howl. Onward up

many a frightening creek, though your arms may get soar

and your sneakers bleak.

You will hike and I know you'll hike far, and face up to your problems

whatever they are. You'll get mixed up of course

as you already know, you'll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go.

So be sure when you step step with care

and great tact, and remember that life's a great balancing act.

Just never forget to be dextrous and deft,

and never mix-up your right foot

with your left. And will you succeed? Yes we will indeed!

Ninety eight and three quarters percent guarantee.

Kid you'll move mountains. So be your name

Bucksbomb or Bixby or Bray or Mordechai

Ali Van Allen O'Shea, you're off to great places,

today is your day. Your mountain is waiting so get on your way.