Dad's Words of Wisdom

 

For Mother’s Day I had a long list of things that momma said.  I cannot do the same for Father’s Day.  Daddy told me more things than momma did, but most of them cannot be published in this article.  Daddy’s vocabulary was mostly vulgar words, barnyard terminology.  His language was crude and base before his salvation.  Daddy was very outspoken and one did not have to wonder where or how he stood on a subject.  Here are a few words of wisdom that are permissible:

Your generation has no gumption.

Kids your age are sorry and don’t know how to work.

If the sun don’t come up, what are you going to do about it?

If you don’t stop walking on the sides of your feet, you’ll be cripple by the time you're fifty.

You’d better say yes mam, no mam, yes sir, no sir.

Always take up for those who can’t take up for themselves.

You better not make fun of handicapped or disabled.

Dead folks can’t hurt you, it’s living ones that do.

If you made the bed, you gotta sleep in it.

It will rain when the Master gets ready for it to rain.

Cutting firewood warms you twice.

If you get in jail, you will stay there.

Don’t point that gun at anything unless you intend to kill it.

You can stay at home as long as you want, but you got to help your momma with groceries.

Take that hat off at the table.

Somebody say grace (This was for every meal.)

There is no such thing as a free meal.

If the government gives you something, they will tell you how to live.

You will vote and register for the draft, too many men and women died for our rights.

Treat people like you want to be treated.

A bought lesson is a learned lesson.

Hindsight is always 20/20.

In a hundred years, who gives a care?

 

Daddy taught me about life.  My love for history, motorcycles, and hot rods come from daddy.  He taught me how to split firewood with an ax and how to run a chain saw to cut paperwood.  He taught me how to repair junk, which most folks refer to as “rigging” but I call it “fixin’.”  He taught me to respect people, especially adults and old folks.  He taught me respect of guns and how to use them, especially killing hogs, and then butchering them.  He taught me how to handle a bully; you beat the snot out of them. 

He taught me generosity.  I remember when planting corn by hand daddy would say, “One for the Master, one for the birds, one to rot, and one for me.”  Daddy shared our garden with everyone.  He was always willing to give folks a “mess of corn, peas, okra,” etc.  When folks helped us “kill hogs,” daddy always made sure that they got a “mess of meat.”  He knew whom and who not to tell, “Get all you want.”  Some people were like a plague of locusts when given the opportunity to “get a mess.” Daddy lived this way: Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously (II Corinthians 9:6 NIV).

The Bible speaks of generosity:

 

Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. Deuteronomy 15:10

 

The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously; Psalm 37:21

 

You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.  This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God (II Corinthians 9:11-12 NIV).