The Man in the Glass

In this episode - The Man in the Glass . . .

By – Dale Wimbrow (published 1934)

When you get what you want in your struggle for self

And the world makes you king for a day,

Just go to the mirror and look at yourself

And see what That man has to say.

For it isn't your father, or mother, or wife,

Whose judgment upon you must pass.

The fellow whose verdict counts most in your life

Is the one staring back from the glass.

Some people may think you a straight-shootin’ chum

And call you a wonderful guy,

But the man in the glass says you’re only a bum

If you can’t look him straight in the eye.

He's the fellow to please, never mind all the rest,

For he's with you clear up to the end,

And you've passed your most dangerous, difficult test

If the man in the glass is your friend.

You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years,

And get pats on the back as you pass,

But your final reward will be heartaches and tears

If you've cheated the man in the glass.

Peter Dale Wimbrow, better known as Dale Wimbrow, was an American author, radio personality, and songwriter best known for his poem "The Man in the Glass." (March 6, 1895 – January 26, 1954).

Wimbrow's early career was in music and radio. Under his name and as Old Pete Daley of Whaleysville, he became known for his records and radio performances with orchestras. His credits include several recordings in the 1920s, in which he performed as the solo vocalist and often as his own accompanist (on the ukulele).

The majority of those songs were his creations, and he began turning to songwriting almost exclusively in the latter part of the decade. Perhaps his best-known musical composition was the 1930 "Accordion Joe" jazz tune. Played by Duke Ellington's band, it appeared that same year as the soundtrack to an animated short film of the same name starring Betty Boop. The tune has appeared several times in Duke Ellington compilation albums.

Wimbrow wrote “The Guy in the Glass” for publication in The American Magazine in 1934. It is often mistitled as The Man In The Glass. The poem became a popular clipping passed between people, and the author's credit was often dropped, leading to inquiries about the author in newspapers as early as 1938. Ann Landers wrongly attributed the poem to an anonymous drug abuse victim in her column on October 5, 1983. After receiving multiple letters claiming different authorship, she later acknowledged on December 5, 1983, that the true author was Wimbrow.

Wimbrow's most enduring legacy is this inspirational poem, "The Man in the Glass," which still resonates with readers due to its message about self-reflection, personal integrity, and honesty.

I’m Patrick Ball. Thanks for listening. See you in the next episode.

Comments

Don Hanley said…

A great quote and I'd like to hear from you as YOU look in the Glass. And this is broad enough even the Trumper can look in the glass and think he is wonderful, but....

November 18, 2023 at 10:02 AM

We Need Awe More Than Ever

In this episode, Why We Need Awe More Than Ever Yesterday morning, I slipped into the cool stillness of my backyard before dawn. The air was crisp, the silence deep—broken only by the faint rustling of leaves and the familiar calls of birds waking early. Then I looked up. A thin crescent moon hung low in the east, with Venus just above it like a shining jewel. The sky was clear and full of stars, and for a moment, I felt something I hadn’t in a long time: Awe! For thousands of years, the heavens have carried on their steady dance, untouched by human noise. No ruler, no election, no breaking news has ever changed their rhythm. And yet here I was, tempted to reach for my phone—to trade the eternal for the urgent. Instead, I stayed. I watched the moonrise, the sky slowly lighten, and the world around me stir. Ducks passed overhead in a loose V, hummingbirds zipped past to visit their feeder, pausing mid-air as if curious about me sitting so still. Little by little, the static in my mind f...

The Birth of a Cubs Legend

In this episode, The 162-Game Exhale — and the Birth of a Cubs Legend There’s a hush in the baseball world on Game 162 — a collective breath drawn in and slowly released. Scoreboards stop flipping. Dugouts empty. For six months, the game has been our steady heartbeat, pulsing from the cherry blossoms of Tokyo in March to the crisp, playoff-charged winds of late September. And now, as the regular season exhales, baseball fans everywhere pause to absorb the story we’ve just lived. For me, that story has been deeply personal. This season unfolded in the rhythms of my daily life. It was the summer soundtrack echoing beneath the constant turmoil of politics and sensational headlines. It was a handful of carefully chosen ballpark pilgrimages stitched together with countless nights in front of MLB.TV. And at the center of it all, for a lifelong Cubs fan like me, it revolved around one name — a young center fielder who turned hope into history: Pete Crow-Armstrong. The 2025 season didn’t begin...

The Silent Grid–Part Two

In this episode, The Silent Grid – Part Two Sirens split the night as Greenwood went dark. Marvin knew instantly—the blackout wasn’t an accident. It was a warning. In this quiet town, where life once unfolded at a predictable pace, a sleek, intuitive smartphone—a so-called gift from the future —has arrived. But it’s no tool for connection. It’s a silent force, erasing individuality and turning neighbors into something less than human. Marvin Gellborn, a man who values independence, sees the truth. His device isn’t helping; it’s testing him, watching him, and quietly embedding itself into the life of Greenwood. Welcome back to On the Fly . In this week’s episode of The Silent Grid , GridBot tightens its grip. After a hopeful community gathering, Marvin and his robot companion, Norman, notice a troubling absence—the very generation they hoped to reach has vanished into the neon glow of The Signal Box , a youth tech hub pulsing with digital obsession. When Greenwood’s lights vanish, Marvi...

The Pessimism Aversion Trap

In this episode, The Pessimism Aversion Trap Picture this: a room full of bright minds nodding in agreement as a bold new strategy is unveiled. The slides are polished, the vision is grand, and the future, we're told, has never looked brighter. Everyone beams—because who wants to be the one to say, "Um… this might not work"? Heaven forbid someone spoil the mood with a dose of reality. Better to smile, add a buzzword or two, and march confidently toward disaster. That's how the Pessimism Aversion Trap works. Even now, I can still hear the sound—a high-pitched shriek and a digital hum, followed by the slow, rhythmic clatter of data pouring from a 5¼-inch floppy disk. It was the late 1980s, and my makeshift home office (our living room) was dominated by what felt like a marvel of modern engineering: a used Tandy 1000 PC with not one, but two floppy drives. To top it off, we purchased a 'blisteringly fast' 300-baud modem—which, for the uninitiated, could downloa...

On The Fly

Search This Blog