Because I said so

My dear friend Ellen got me THE greatest..possibly never to be topped, Birthday gift for my 24th. Besides the 'MY DYSFUNCTIONS Journal' she introduced me to a saying,

KEEP CALM and CARRY ON

It came in the form of a water canteen thing, which I only ever used once because it made my juice taste metallic, but it sits on my desk. Because I think it's brilliant. There is one official company that makes products baring this quote, but you can find knock offs..and some hilarious spin-offs everywhere.

The true story behind the original, however, is part of the reason I adore it so much.

Wikipedia says, Keep Calm and Carry On was a poster produced by the British government in 1939 during the beginning of World War II, intended to raise the morale of the British public under the threat of impending invasion. It was little known and never used. The poster was third in a series of three. The previous two posters from the series, "Your Courage, Your Cheerfulness, Your Resolution Will Bring Us Victory" (800,000 printed) and "Freedom is in Peril" (400,000 printed) were issued and used across the country for motivational purposes, as the Ministry of Information assumed that the events of the first weeks of the war would demoralize the population. Planning for the posters started in April 1939; by June designs were prepared, and by August 1939, they were on their way to the printers, to be placed up within 24 hours of the outbreak of war. The posters were designed to have a uniform device, be a design associated with the Ministry of Information, and have a unique and recognizable lettering, with a message from the King to his people. In 2000, a copy of the "Keep Calm and Carry On" poster was rediscovered in Barter Books, a second-hand bookshop in Alnwick, Northumberland. Since Crown Copyright expires on artistic works created by the UK government after 50 years, the image is now in the public domain.

I am a absolutely no history buff what so ever, so I know nothing about the King of Britan during the time of World War II, but I like the guy. It may not have been the more popular of the three poster-messages, but its a valiant message that he gave to his people.

And as I was diagnosed with my Panic Disorder, it became a valiant message that a friend gave to me! And now I find myself happily obsessed with, and try to live by, those 5 words. (Or these 4 words lol)