I love the old adages. I think they've been around so long because, for the most part, they're true.
"Beauty is only skin deep." I'm sure you've all known people who, at first glance, were drop-dead beautiful/handsome. You were drawn to them like a moth to a flame. And then . . . not so much. The best example I can come up with without hurting anyone's feelings is - Charlie Sheen.
"You get what you pay for." That was one I heard from my mother quite often. She believed that it was worth paying for a good piece of clothing (like our winter coats which we got every other year) so that it would last.
"A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." I'll be honest - that one took me a long time to appreciate. For years I thought it had something to do with hunting. Well, I guess that's where it came from but evolved over the decades to apply to the non-hunting person. I can't think of a good example at the moment, though.
"Cold hands - warm heart." Um - not sure about this one. Sounds like someone with chronically clammy hands made that one up.
Not all adages have merit. Like "Sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me." That one's a load of crap. Think back. I'm sure you can remember something that was said to you that made you feel small or sad or betrayed. You remember exactly where you were and who said it. And it's stayed with you all these years. Right? Load of crap.
"Good things come to those who wait." Really? How long must one wait??????????????
"What goes around, comes around." Sometimes but not always. I've been watching a certain person for a number of years now; waiting for the "comeuppance." So far - nothing. I'm getting tired of waiting.
"The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree." When I look at my family I understand that one - clearly - and it's a good one. I'm a proud apple.
Do you have a favorite adage? I'd love to hear it.
I do believe in the "What goes around" one. Sometimes it just takes a bit longer. I've got one that goes along those lines. "Treat people as you would like to be treated, Karma's only a bitch if you are." Not exactly an old adage but I like it. A guy I worked with early in my teaching career also used the phrase, "You plant taters, you get taters." I found this to be quite offensive at the time, but as time goes by....
ReplyDelete"The pathway to hell is paved with good intentions." One my Mom always used. Lately, I've been doing a lot of paving.
ReplyDeleteWhenever one of us would say "I can't" or "I don't know how to do that", my wise father would say "First, you have to want to". Anything that's humanly possible, we are capable of doing it, as long as our attitude is focused. Having said that, it's OK to acknowledge that there are things we don't want to do, like re-roofing my house, or starting a daycare center, or spending a month at the North Pole.
ReplyDeleteI like both of those examples, ladies.
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