Pearls of Wisdom

[del320]

So…

8/1
…my old sergeant always used to say, "Good drivers reverse into a parking bay, and drive out, bad, or lazy drivers do the opposite!"
9/1
…my old sergeant always told me to trust car dealers, estate agents etc.
17/1
...being the meat in a sandwich is always dodgy. In fact it is a fat lot of good being in the right if the manouvre results in broken bones or worse. My old Sergeant might have even said this.
1/2
…as my old sergeant used to say, "The day we pass our test, is the day we start developing bad habits!"
13/2
…as my old sergeant used to say, "A moaning man, is a happy man!"
15/2
…my old sergeant used to say that corporals were created to punish people.
16/2
…as my old sergeant used to say, "So they can recognise the bodies."
18/2
…as my old sergeant used to say, "An uncomfortable ride, is better than a comfortable walk."
20/3
…as my old sergeant used to say, "Speed down, then change down."
22/3
…my old sergeant always used to say, "If the men aint moaning, WATCH OUT!"
26/3
…Spot on, that's just what my old sergeant used to say.
3/4
…my old sergeant always said, "The day you pass your driving test, is the day you start to develop bad habits!"
12/5
…but like my old sergeant used to say, "Cheap 'elmet, cheap 'ead."
13/5
…my old sergeant always used to tell me to leave ample room when overtaking to allow for ignorant drivers\passengers that might open their doors without looking.
21/5
…as my old sergeant used to say, "Roundabouts are where folks meet to exchange names and addresses."
31/5
…as my old sergeant always used to say to all motor cyclists, "If you want to stay alive, treat ALL other road users like idiots!"
2/6
…as my old sergeant used to say, "Cheats never prosper!"
4/6
…as my old sergeant used to say, "Man and machine as one, always being in the right place in the right gear and at the right speed".

…who has been the most influential person in your life?

What ‘pearls of wisdom’ or ‘bon mots’ have guided you along life’s rocky road?

 

[BlackC55]

My mother:

"If you don't ask you don't get"

So when I was single.........

 

[robert.saunders]

My Dad

 

[GrahamC230K]

Love the post Del.

That has to be a new catch phrase. Almost as good as "During the war"......"as my old Sergeant used to say".

As for your question, I have to say I am not 100% sure of an answer yet.

 

[Ted]

My dad
"Don't judge the marmalade by the label"

A fellow inmate, HMP Winson Green. (It's a long story)
"Oh, so you're a man of principle are you? Let me tell you son, there are two types of people allowed principles in this world - rich men and fools. And I can see you're not a rich man"

Old English proverb
"All's fair in love and war"

Me (to my kids) (and anyone else who will listen)
"You don't show that you're a better person than someone by behaving worse than them"

Bananarama
"It aint what you do, it's the way that you do it. That's what gets results"

 

[glojo]

My old sergeant always used to say, "When playing with electric wires there are three things to be wary of!"

AC, DC, and.......... JC



Regards
John

 

[Ian_C]

To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

 

[purplegoddess]

always treat others as you would expect to be treat yourself

my fave, people in glass houses shouldnt throw stones

 

[pammy]

My current boss is one of those whose principles you wouldn't want to follow as it's basically - "If you **** up, you're to blame. If anyones else ***** up, you're to blame, and I just don't **** up - you do" So guess whose fault everything is - yup muggins 'ere

Whereas I try to adhere to the accept responsibility for your own actions motto.

But the people I look up to are my kids - because they are just amazing and Josh is now taller than me .

 

[portzy]

My grandma: Eat all yer tea 'cause half the world is starvin'.

So I did and they still are

Portzy.

 

[pammy]

My grandma: Eat all yer tea 'cause half the world is starvin'.

So I did and they still are

Portzy.

lol - I remember that one too

 

[del320]

Eat all yer tea 'cause half the world is starvin'.Portzy.

My dear old sainted gray-haired mother came up with a variation: "Eat all your tea 'cause you don't know where your next meal is coming from" This was said with a certain malevolance which put the fear of God into me - would I be given away to the orphanage?

My father reckons you should never tell other people your worries. Half don't care and the other half are glad!

But, being the Great Prevaricator, he has lived by the maxim to put off doing today anything which can be done tomorrow. It's worked - he's nearly 97 and shows no sign of pegging out!

 

[Gucci]

Baz Luhrmann Sunscreen lyrics

Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’97,
Wear sunscreen.
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be
it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by
scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable
than my own meandering
experience…I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not
understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded.
But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and
recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before
you and how fabulous you really looked….You’re not as fat as you
imagine.

Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as
effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing
bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that
never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm
on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing everyday that scares you

Sing

Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with
people who are reckless with yours.

Floss

Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes
you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with
yourself.

Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you
succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your
life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they
wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year
olds I know still don’t.

Get plenty of calcium.

Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.

Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children,maybe
you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky
chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…what ever you do, don’t
congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your
choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s. Enjoy your body,
use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people
think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever
own..

Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.

Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.

Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for
good.

Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the
people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you
should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and
lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you
knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live
in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will
philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize
that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were
noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund,
maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one
might run out.

Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will
look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who
supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of
fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the
ugly parts and recycling it for more than
it’s worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen…

 

[pammy]

I never know whether to laugh, cry or what to those lyrics - they are so poignant

 

[Ian B Walker]

My father was the most influential person I have ever known. He gave me some sound advice upon leaving school. It was " Get yourself a trade and you will never be out of work". I took his advice and have so far not regretted it.

 

[neilrr]

Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’97,
Wear sunscreen.
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be
it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by
scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable
than my own meandering
experience…I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not
understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded.
But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and
recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before
you and how fabulous you really looked….You’re not as fat as you
imagine.

Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as
effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing
bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that
never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm
on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing everyday that scares you

Sing

Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with
people who are reckless with yours.

Floss

Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes
you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with
yourself.

Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you
succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your
life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they
wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year
olds I know still don’t.

Get plenty of calcium.

Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.

Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children,maybe
you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky
chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…what ever you do, don’t
congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your
choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s. Enjoy your body,
use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people
think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever
own..

Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.

Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.

Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for
good.

Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the
people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you
should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and
lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you
knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live
in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will
philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize
that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were
noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund,
maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one
might run out.

Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will
look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who
supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of
fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the
ugly parts and recycling it for more than
it’s worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_SfXyzMxJc

 

[Deleted member 6183]

My Dad preparing me for a college interview for which I was woefully underqualified:

'When they ask about certificates for the exams you claim to have acheived look sad and mention that tragic fire'

Dad again on life as a salesman:

'It beats working for a living'

The first bit of advice worked a treat and I've lived by the second one all my life!

 

[DITTRICH]

The favourite saying - can't remember from where...

"we'll burn that bridge when we get to it"

as opposed to

"don't burn your bridges before you've crossed them!"

Les

 

[Ted]

My ex-boss after a trip to Belfast

"why are there so many italian flags over there?"

 

[mark.t]

look where your going and not where you've been