As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho and Westside sections 3/14/09
Last week's column on words of wisdom struck a chord with many readers. I offered up a brief collection of serious and lighthearted advice on life and posed the question "What advice would you give a younger you? What do you know today that you wish someone had told you years ago?"
The questions drew an enormous response from loyal readers who were willing to share their personal knowledge of life's little secrets. And isn't that what life is all about, helping each other along the way?
I think these readers embody the true human spirit that we all possess — graciousness and the desire to help one another. Their advice will make the bumpy road of life a little smoother for the rest of us and I thank them all for contributing to this column.
• "Words of wisdom from my dad, Joseph Kaufman: 'Never judge a person by the car they drive or the shoes they wear.' Boy, I wished I had listened to him more than I did." —Debra K.
• "For your 1/4 cup dilemma, just use a ruler and count all the lines — short and long, thick and thin — then divide by 2." — Lou M.
• "When I was growing up my grandmother always said, 'Fool me once shame on you ... fool me twice shame on me.' Of course, I being a small child didn't understand. Now I get it loud and clear, and live by it." — Marian D.
• "I liked this topic. It hits home since I've been reflecting on things since I got my AARP card this week." — Bud D., (age 49).
• "I read your column with interest. Thank you for your fresh approach. My mom Myra Jelinek passed away 5 years ago at the age of 89. She left her friends and family with many pearls of wisdom. Among them: Every kick's a boost. Don't worry about things that may never happen. All things work together for good. Blessed be nothing. Don't put it down, put it away. I miss my mom daily and even as I write this, she makes me smile." — Lucy H.
• "Love this article. In our house, what goes in the laundry goes in the wash. I also charge $5.00 to those who consistently throw inside-out clothing into the laundry. The only things that I can pass on in terms of wisdom are the following: Everything is relative. There is always more than one way. That is all that I know and all that I have learned in these 50 years." — Diane L.
• "Love your column this week. My advice to younger self is that when you remember good advice your parents or friends gave that worked, write it down. Over time you will forget, sometimes when you need it most! Also remember to plunge into life with gusto instead of being afraid. It's a lot more fun, a better learning experience, and in the end there never will be a right or wrong way to have lived. There will always be unforeseen tragedies that you can't protect yourself from, so do what you enjoy." —Priscilla W.
• "This is a really good article. I'd argue that asking this question doesn't need to wait and that we should engage continuously in self-reflection and question. That's the only way we can make relatively contemporaneous self-correction that can heal relationships and make us a better person." —Brad C.
Go forth and prosper enlightened readers and I will see you here next week.
Quote of the Week: "You don't pay back, you pay forward." — Robert Heinlein's (author) answer to Jerry Pournell (author) when asked how he could repay him for his valued guidance over the years.
Last week's column on words of wisdom struck a chord with many readers. I offered up a brief collection of serious and lighthearted advice on life and posed the question "What advice would you give a younger you? What do you know today that you wish someone had told you years ago?"
The questions drew an enormous response from loyal readers who were willing to share their personal knowledge of life's little secrets. And isn't that what life is all about, helping each other along the way?
I think these readers embody the true human spirit that we all possess — graciousness and the desire to help one another. Their advice will make the bumpy road of life a little smoother for the rest of us and I thank them all for contributing to this column.
• "Words of wisdom from my dad, Joseph Kaufman: 'Never judge a person by the car they drive or the shoes they wear.' Boy, I wished I had listened to him more than I did." —Debra K.
• "For your 1/4 cup dilemma, just use a ruler and count all the lines — short and long, thick and thin — then divide by 2." — Lou M.
• "When I was growing up my grandmother always said, 'Fool me once shame on you ... fool me twice shame on me.' Of course, I being a small child didn't understand. Now I get it loud and clear, and live by it." — Marian D.
• "I liked this topic. It hits home since I've been reflecting on things since I got my AARP card this week." — Bud D., (age 49).
• "I read your column with interest. Thank you for your fresh approach. My mom Myra Jelinek passed away 5 years ago at the age of 89. She left her friends and family with many pearls of wisdom. Among them: Every kick's a boost. Don't worry about things that may never happen. All things work together for good. Blessed be nothing. Don't put it down, put it away. I miss my mom daily and even as I write this, she makes me smile." — Lucy H.
• "Love this article. In our house, what goes in the laundry goes in the wash. I also charge $5.00 to those who consistently throw inside-out clothing into the laundry. The only things that I can pass on in terms of wisdom are the following: Everything is relative. There is always more than one way. That is all that I know and all that I have learned in these 50 years." — Diane L.
• "Love your column this week. My advice to younger self is that when you remember good advice your parents or friends gave that worked, write it down. Over time you will forget, sometimes when you need it most! Also remember to plunge into life with gusto instead of being afraid. It's a lot more fun, a better learning experience, and in the end there never will be a right or wrong way to have lived. There will always be unforeseen tragedies that you can't protect yourself from, so do what you enjoy." —Priscilla W.
• "This is a really good article. I'd argue that asking this question doesn't need to wait and that we should engage continuously in self-reflection and question. That's the only way we can make relatively contemporaneous self-correction that can heal relationships and make us a better person." —Brad C.
Go forth and prosper enlightened readers and I will see you here next week.
Quote of the Week: "You don't pay back, you pay forward." — Robert Heinlein's (author) answer to Jerry Pournell (author) when asked how he could repay him for his valued guidance over the years.
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