Thursday's Child

Has far to go.

Hi folks,

I have to tell you that while I marginally keep up with the major political issues of the day I am not a political pundit nor interested in becoming one. I am an artist. As an artist I am a quiet anarchist in my studio doing whatever I want and I like it that way. But when I go out in public I abide by the general expectations of my surrounding community. I practice being an American as I understand it to mean. I abide by the laws as I understand them, act ethically, don’t make public disturbances though this year I have participated in a few peaceful protests.

Politically I am an agnostic, hence an independent, politically unaffiliated. There is no political party that represents my views on things. But I accept that I am a citizen and that I have responsibilities in that regard to the broader community as we all do - locally, nationally and globally. We all have our little part to play.

Politics should be boring, just the bureaucracy going about its business the best it can and people complaining about potholes in the roads and so forth.

However, I am afraid we find ourselves in ‘interesting times’ as the curse goes.

When people say we’re living in “interesting times,” they usually mean turbulent, uncertain, and historic moments - periods when the world is shifting rapidly, often painfully. It suggests a time of existential stakes, where personal and collective futures are being reshaped. Think: pandemics, political breakdowns, climate crises, war, economic turmoil - all part of our current "interesting" era. From what I hear AI is going to be another major disruption very soon. People in the know seem worried.

So, I feel compelled, as my civic duty to write some things on occasion as a form of Public Service Announcement to my fellow artists because we are or soon will be affected by this mayhem going on outside of our studios.

These posts will be filed under the newsletter General John Quincy Public They will not show up on the front page of the Touchonian. So to see them all you’ll have to go to the ‘newsletters’ on the right side of the homepage and click on General John Quincy Public to see them.

I’ll try to keep these posts about being an American Citizen and what that means to me down to one a week. I hope you will make comments and share your own thoughts on the subject.

Tomorrow is Thursday so I guess that will be a good day to post these. Let’s see, Thursday’s Child… Let’s see what my AI assistant Chatwick gives me…

“Thursday’s child has far to go” is a line from an old English nursery rhyme used to predict a child's character based on the day of the week they were born. The full version goes:

Monday’s child is fair of face,
Tuesday’s child is full of grace,
Wednesday’s child is full of woe,
Thursday’s child has far to go,
Friday’s child is loving and giving,
Saturday’s child works hard for a living,
But the child that is born on the Sabbath day
Is bonny and blithe, and good and gay.

It can be interpreted in a few different ways—both literally and metaphorically:

Traditional Interpretation

• The phrase "has far to go" often suggests a long journey—either literal (travel, distance) or figurative (personal growth, ambition, or destiny).

• It implies that a Thursday’s child is someone with a great potential or a long path ahead, perhaps destined for achievement, exploration, or transformation, but it won’t come easily or quickly.

Deeper Meanings

• Ambitious: They may be driven, with a sense of purpose or calling, needing to develop their gifts over time.

• Not yet arrived: They may not be fully formed early in life but grow into themselves over time—late bloomers, perhaps.

• Journey through life: Life may demand much from them, taking them far from their origins—whether geographically, emotionally, or spiritually.

In contrast with other lines:

• While Wednesday’s child carries sorrow,

• Thursday’s child carries promise and momentum—though perhaps not yet fulfilled.

Modern Usage

Saying someone is a Thursday’s child might mean they’re on a long path—still becoming who they are meant to be. There's a sense of destiny, development, and distance between now and their future self.

It's often used to evoke potential, evolution, and perseverance—a quiet acknowledgement that life is a journey and they are still walking it.

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Yes, that seems appropriate for the times and the topic. And all of us artists, since the creative life is a journey, certainly have a long way to go.