Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Time tested advice from cowboys and old farmers

Your fences need to be horse high, pig tight and bull strong.

Don't interfere with something that isn't bothering you.

*Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.

Most of the stuff people worry about isn't ever gonna happen anyway.

Don't judge folks by their relatives.

Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

If it dosn't seem like it's worth the effort, it probably isn't.

Words that soak into your ears are whispered....not yelled.

Meanness don't just happen overnight.

If you find yourself in a hole the first thing to do is stop digging.

Sometimes you get and sometimes you get got.

The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with watches you from the mirror every morning.

Don't corner something that you know is meaner than you.

*Forgive your enemies; it messes up their heads.

It dosn't take a very big person to carry a grudge.

You cannot unsay a cruel word.

Every path has a few puddles.

When you wallow with pigs expect to get dirty.

The best sermons are lived, not preached.

Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.

Letting the cat out of the bag is a whole lot easier than putting it back in.

If you get to thinking you're a person of some influence, try ordering somebody else's dog around.

Live a good and honourable life.  Then when you get older and think back, you'll enjoy it a second time.

And live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly and leave the rest to God.

This advice is attributed to Steve Arwood, aka "Texas Big Bender" and some parts may have been changed or added to or subtracted in its many versions on the net.

It's a pretty good read and the advice worth passing on. 

*I have a couple issues with two of the rules marked with a *

*Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.......

Nah, i don't think so. My advice - remove the dam stump or it'll make your life more complicated and that'll be the death of ya. The circle around it will grow wider every year and the task of removing it will quadruple thereby using up valuable land. And enemies will make it their home!
Not only that but it's an eyesore and it's lazy to just keep plowing around it. Mentally you'll know you let a stupid stump rule you and that's not good for your health.


*Forgive your enemies; it messes up their heads.

While i understand the concept in the world of a childs little problems or in a game or a sport i don't get this one at all as it would apply to real life as an adult person.
If someone done ya wrong enough to be considered an enemy then MY advice is to wait it out and eventually the enemy will be defeated. 
Whoever wrote this rule hasn't really had an enemy and knows not of which he speaks.
This also applies to your own mental health. Why would you even want to forgive the enemy? Could you really....and just how would that make you feel? 

Like a wimp or a loser?  Yep, you betcha!

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

The quotation about life being easier when you plow around the stump makes me think of my husband when he mows. He hates having anything in the yard that he has to mow around.

Lorraina said...

Come to think of it Linda, thats probably where or how i reached this conclusion even tho theres no stump to mow around here.

Rather its the wavy border beds and a wavy edged island bed that i get the mowing flack over.

But, these wavy edges and island were born in my attempt to make it easier to mow by containing the trees as well as heather and the like that was planted too close to the edges so that in a couple years was floating out over the grass. This meant chipping away the grass to accomodate the plants thereby making the islands larger and the grass path skinnier and curvier as the hubby grew whinier, and so go's the days of our lives.

I think i just contradicted myself again, lol!

Ya just can't win!

Catz said...

Oh my gosh what a great post! I loved it.
Thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving such kind words of support.

Lorraina said...

Nice to hear from you Catz. I have total faith that you will come through this challenge and win.
I used to get called by the mammography clinic annually and i'd always make my apt then. Maybe i've just forgotten but it seems like ages since the last one and no call yet. Guess i better call them.

I beat the big C three times, believe it or not. I was 19 when the Dr. found a lump on my thyroid and i was under the knife immediately. Only one side of the thyroid was removed and unfortunately i felt another lump 6 months later. The second surgery was done with incision from ear to ear and vocal glands scraped. The fear of not being able to speak again was hard to deal with. Lucky me; i retained my voice and it was much needed as i had 3 babies at that time.
My next encounter with cancer was cervical about 22 yrs later (found in a routine pap test)which necessitated a complete hysterectomy.
We do what we have to do and somehow make our way through these bumps on our roads. I believe keeping a positive attitude helps alot.
I feel strongly that you'll be ok.

A Plain Observer said...

can't argue with a single line!
Mind if I borrow it? putting a link on my blog.

Lorraina said...

Please do JBT! I'd love to hear/read if you agree with all the advice or not too.

the walking man said...

You're right...why plow around the stump when two sticks of dynamite solves just about any stumping problem.

Deb said...

Great "proverbs" to live by. I have to say that I genuinely forgave my enemy, not to mess with their heads, but to free myself from bitterness. It was the most liberating thing I have ever done in my life, and I don't consider myself a wimp or a loser... I'm much stronger because of it. :)

Great post!

Lorraina said...

Lol, glad you agree, walking man.
uhhh, is dynamite something that easy to get....? Just wondering, might need a couple sticks sometime....

Lorraina said...

Deb, thanks for the comment. I shouldn't have said wimp or loser so casualy, really; i was just thinking of myself and just one incident with one person that made me say that.

I really don't have any enemies as such. Enemy is such a strong and terrible word. I do hold a "grudge" against one person.

It was something terrible that caused a great loss and a life changing event that happened and my heart just isn't into forgiving the person responsible. It's been in his hands to change the situation with a simple apology for almost 8 yrs now but he does nothing and it's something that affects 14 memebers of my family every single day.
I cannot forgive him until he fixes this.

Snowbrush said...

I've also heard it said that when there are three of you in the pickup truck, and you're not the one driving, try to sit in the middle so that the other passenger will have to open and close the gates.

Lorraina said...

Ha! That is excellent advice for sure. Have to remember that....
Thanks for the laugh Snow :)