One of the surprises I’ve experienced through sharing a daily blog is the new information I’ve learned about people, including folks I’ve known for a very long time. Some friends opt to send me a private email rather than respond publically. In fact, I have a long-term friend who reminded me at the onset that he valued his privacy and would not be making public comments. Yet, he periodically drops me a note to affirm his continued interest.
He recently confessed to having saved of copy of all the blogs on his computer. He finds them either worthy of a laugh or worthy of more thought. In reading between the lines, I gathered that at times we are at opposite or different poles on managing life, but at least he invests the time to consider if I could be right.
I am often amused by some of the responses my son makes. At times he can sound so parental. For example, his response to the blog about my speedy friend who has just racked up three speeding tickets was for both of us to slow down, drive the speed limit and eliminate stress in our lives. Why didn’t I think of that on my own?
Obviously, Craig inherited that cautionary, follow the rules, color within the lines approach to life from his mother. In fact, when Craig was in college, I traded vehicles with him. I had a turbo powered sports car that reportedly could easily go 160 mph. I never quite got there, but I at least considered it. That was before I learned that speeding could not be handled through taking drivers education if you are exceeding the speed limit more that 25 mph. Craig on the other hand wouldn’t have considered it. So I handed him the keys to the fast car and I drove ….well something less.
Andrea, my daughter, is in many respects her father’s child. When she was in high school she was following a friend back to school at lunch. When the traffic light turned yellow, she gunned it because she knew her friend would go on through the light. Did I mention that he didn’t? Oh, the lessons that we learn through our children.
Over the past four months, I’ve learned a lot about another friend. He, too, sends his comments to me rather than posting, but they are always of interest. In fact, I feel a little guilty that I haven’t adequately responded to many of the things he’s shared. Perhaps, I’ll make it up to him today by sharing part of his response to yesterday’s posting. Something I had written brought up a memory for him and in the spirit of reciprocity, his response brought up a memory for me.
My friend wrote, “Upon reading your daily blog this morning, I was wondering how do you find so much stuff to write about with the exception of simply daily life experiences current and past? Which reminds me of something in my past about eating everything on your plate. Do mothers have some hidden phrases they pass on in cyber space as Facebook wasn’t around when we were kids, hence ‘kids in China are starving’ etc.
Once a week my mother would prepare liver and onions probably as requested from my dad as my three brothers hated that dish and I still do. I don’t eat innards of any kind or from any species. Anyway, my dog loved me especially on that day when he smelled the liver cooking as he knew what lied ahead. Of course I had to eat everything on my plate because of those darned kids in China. When mom wasn’t looking, dad was always busy stuffing his face and wouldn’t have noticed, my dog would get a nice piece of liver handed to him under my chair…Hope you have a wonderful day my friend and keep the daily blogs, pleeeeze”.
I don’t remember when I last thought about liver and onions, but I’ve never liked the taste. My mom occasionally prepared it because it was good for you. That was before the days of Prevention Magazine that became the source of many home remedies or suggested strategies my mom would eventually embrace. If it was in Prevention Magazine, you could believe every word. Just like my blog. Fried liver and onions were on the radar screen long before Prevention Magazine.
My brothers and I always got a pass on the liver. We tried it once, found it awful and begged not to have it again. From that time forward, whenever mother prepared liver and onions it was on the adult menu. We were granted a stay of execution.
At least that was true until I was in college. One semester I worked on staff at Abilene Boys Ranch. Once a month they served liver to the boys in care. The boys didn’t have a choice. They had to eat it. What was I supposed to do? I was a responsible adult and needed to role model appropriate behavior to the boys in my care. I didn’t have an unnoticed dog I could slip it to under my chair. I remember liberally covering it with ketchup and quickly swallowing it whole just to get it off my plate. What a nasty experience! Now the thought of camouflaging it with ketchup causes me a gag reflex. I think my blog just made me sick.
Okay, so here’s my challenge and invitation for reader participation. What phrases or expressions from childhood did you routinely hear from your parents? I mentioned one yesterday that I’d never heard. “The bark is on the tree.” I’m sure we all heard, “Because I said so” in response to the question “why”. Another phrase my mother sometimes used was “not worth a hill of beans.” I gathered that didn’t represent much value, but I’m not sure of the origin.
Seriously, what unusual routine expressions did you hear growing up? Inquiring minds want to know. Second question, did you use those same expressions with your children?
All My Best!
Don