The Lessons Life Teaches, A Collection of Short Stories.

Pithy Phrases

Our dad frequently used short pithy phrases to encourage change in my brother and my behaviors. The phrase I hated the most was "spare the rod and spoil the child". It was definitely, absolutely not one of my favs. I still remember a few of the other phrases that he frequently used. Our dad was an electrical engineer and he had come through the trying times of the depression. Whenever he discovered that we left a light on in a room after leaving it, he would have us turn the switch off and say to us "When not in use turn off the juice." For my brother, our dad would say "Don't be a grasshopper all your life." I am still not totally sure what he meant by this phrase. But when my brother and I were younger, and our father would say this, we would hop all around the room pretending to be grasshoppers. I don't think he was impressed. The phrase for me, I knew the meaning well. I have always, especially when I was younger, tended to be more of a loaner. My dad would say to me "Be like a banana and hang with the bunch." It was a good phrase, but I have never done well at hanging with the bunch. In pausing and thinking about it, our father was an intelligent, hardworking, honest, and a very respectable man. He also led by example never "do as I say not as I do." The quote our father took to heart for himself was "Great minds discuss ideas; small minds discuss people." I never heard my father gossip about anyone.

I too have been known to use some pity phrases in my time. Some of them are:

Life is a lot of things, but it's not fair. – from Doctor Morelli

There are many roads in the jungle. – Mr. Prapat

Whatever flips your skirt. – My wife

Don't let the bastards grind you down.

It is difficult to watch a train wreck. It's worse to be on the train.

Do the best you can with what you have.

and

I'm sorry – You've got the wrong cowboy