An Old Saying

There’s an old saying that goes…

That’s how they’re usually referenced.  I feel safe in saying that most of us have a favorite saying or two.  Their origins can date back centuries or, in these days of the meme, they can be a short post some unknown person puts up on social media and it resonates with us.  And, basically, that’s all it takes:  A resonance.  Someone says or repeats something they heard and it means something to you.  So you remember it.

Shakespeare is often quoted.  And many of our “modern-day” sayings have their origins in his plays.  Most people who haven’t studied Shakespeare are greatly unaware of how much of his works still permeate our language.  I’m not one who can quote Shakespeare.  I mean, I remember a few lines, but I can only dredge up one or two quotes.  One of my favorites is:

Now is the winter of our discontent,
Made glorious summer by this son of York,
And who, disguised as Clark Kent,
Mild-mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper,
Whose five-year mission,
To seek out new life, new civilizations,
To boldly go where no man has gone before.

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Shakespeare notwithstanding, many of the sayings that have gotten me through life are short and simple.  Several were conveyed to me by my mother.

Put that down!  You don’t know where it’s been!

Or,

Stop making that face or it’ll stay that way!

And,

Get down from there!  You’ll break your neck!

Of course, we all know

Don’t do that or you’ll go blind.

I wonder if my recent cataracts were… Well, let’s not get into that now.  Usually in this case, I just referred to the old wives tale that if you sit too close to the TV set you’d go blind.  That’s my go to explanation.  Old Wives Tales aren’t really sayings, per se.  Those old wives told us that bad things happen in threes; spilling salt is bad luck; picking up a penny is good luck; swallowed chewing gum takes years to digest, etc.

But old wives tales are not really sayings or quotes by which to live your life.  But quotes, yes!  Statements made by others are many times quite inspirational.

Mother Teresa said, “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”

The Buddha said, “All that we are is a result of what we have thought.”

Plato said, “The greatest wealth is to be content with little.”

Jesus said, “Love thine brother as thyself.”

Albert Einstein said, “The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education.”

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Lao Tzu, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.”

Mahatma Gandhi said, “The weak can never forgive.  Forgiveness is an attribute of the strong.”

Marcus Aurelius said, “You have power over your mind – not outside events.  Realize this, and you will find strength.”

The Dalai Lama said, “Be kind whenever possible.  It is always possible.”

The poet, Rumi, said, “You are not a drop of the ocean.  You are the mighty ocean in a drop.”

Wayne Gretzky, “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.”

Confucius said, “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”

Some of these quotes from decades and even centuries past are models for true living.

But there are things being said today that are just as inspirational.  In this modern time of memes, there are some which truly resonate with me.  One that recently blew my mind was, “Everything in the Universe is either a potato, or not a potato.”  I mean, to me, that pretty much sums up all I need to know.

On a practical, day-to-day type of meme advice, I read one recently about relationships that is so profound that it rang through my cells as would a bell.

Being in a relationship means both of you diligently working to solve problems…
That you wouldn’t have if you were single.

I’ll leave you with that.