Old Wives Tales and Other Little Tidbits

Did you ever wonder why you hear all these old clichés from your parents or even your grandparents? Did you used to get annoyed at hearing them, like I did? We don't like to be reminded of things we already know, yet we don't act like we've learned anything from what we've been taught. That's part of the problem with clichés; they've lost their meaning by being overused so much. What we need to do is go back to the beginning and really look at what our ancestors were trying to tell us.

The Golden Rule, and All That

It's not such a bad idea, really. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." You usually want to be treated fairly and decently, right? I'm sure most people feel the same way, even if they don't know it. Nobody likes a hassle. It's annoying, at the minimum. It can only pay to be nice to everybody. Imagine having a bad day, like your car breaks down, or your wallet gets lost with all your money, credit cards, etc. in it. Then imagine someone coming up to you, after finding your wallet, and giving it back, no money or anything missing inside. Or, imagine someone stopping on the side of the road and fixing your car for you...for free. That'd put a smile on your face, I'm sure. It would for me.

On driving the road to transcendence, this golden rule thing is an important rule to remember. First, it lets us see a direct consequence of our actions, usually a positive consequence at that. Second, it allows others to possibly gain a little insight. If they're the kind of people that ask why, then maybe they'll be able to draw some good conclusions from your actions. Don't get discouraged if they're not those kind of people, though. Don't forget that the golden rule is as much for your benefit, as it is for theirs.

Two For Me, Two For You

And what was that other little rule that our parents taught us? "Share and share alike." Not like those silly, albeit funny, "Twix" commercials on television. Sharing is a major bonus for everyone, as we discussed in last month's article. To reiterate, sharing allows us to see things that we could not otherwise see as human beings, limited as we are, in our vision of life, by our imperfections. Don't let that bring you down. This is why we have each other; this is why we need each other. No person is an island, to steal another old saying. We go crazy, literally, from spending too much time alone. Time alone is good but not on a permanent basis.

Patience is a Virtue

Yes, you've heard this one before, and it is true, as I've found out. I hate to wait, and only through some serious discipline have I learned some patience. What they don't tell you is that there's another part to that saying: "Good things come to those who wait." What I've also learned, in my fight to gain patience, is that good things do come to those who wait. Of course, this is still a theory. It isn't always the case, but it seems to work fairly often. Again, don't be disappointed if it doesn't work. There are forces at work in the universe we don't yet understand, and there are reasons for things happening the way they do. All we can do is be patient, and hope that one day, while we're driving down our road, we stumble upon a few of those reasons.

Siwrnai dda