Winning Words 10/4/11
“You don’t want to be so open-minded that your brains fall out.” (G-son of Marilyn Oaks) Here’s an example of the truism that the acorn doesn’t fall far from the Oak.. As we teach our children not to pre-judge, we need also to teach them to judge right from wrong. My “politics” weren’t learned from my parents, but, more importantly, my moral direction did come from them. Who taught you to use your brain? ;-) Jack

FROM SH IN MICHIGAN: My moral direction did come from my parents, especially they handed down to me the deep desire to love and do the right thing. They taught me a sex ethic that to love and do the right thing is so much bigger than sex itself although the society all around has trouble expressing this sex ethic. This weekend our daughter and her boyfriend are moving into the house they have just purchased together. I believe there is a right way to love and do the right thing through all of this and the moral direction our parents taught us is really still prevailing even in our daughter but Grandma says flat-out this living together is not the best thing. I wonder if I am trying to be so open-minded that my brains are falling out. My gut instinct is to trust my daughter's gut instinct--there are things going on in people that are far deeper than the outside appearances. Who's teaching me to use my brain? Maybe it's really God.////FROM JACK: Everyone has to live life in the time that is theirs. You can't transport "today's kids" back into the same time frame as their parents and grandparents. Brains of today are pretty much the same as those of yesteryear.

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: My parents first taught me and then I had some extraordinary teachers who directed my path. We didn't say "stupid" in our house or "can't" in our house. We were always taught to try and try again. It was a great lesson. We were also taught when to ask for help. We were also taught right from wrong. A lesson many many people could be taught or re-taught today.////FROM JACK: A parental phrase that you don't hear much anymore..."Don't sass me."////MORE FROM THE OUTHOUSE: That and, "It's daylight in the swamp." That's what my mom yelled up the stairs every Saturday. It makes me laugh to think about it now. You don't hear, "Go play in the traffic" either...that one my dad said to us. It always made us laugh too.

FROM MEDD-O-LANE: Like we only put our finger on a hot stove once, experience teaches how to use our reasoning brain. What we use it for is taught by our parents and others. ////FROM JACK: Life has many teachers. We are all students. I didn't pay attention as much as I should have. Upon reflection, I did have some pretty good teachers, and they all weren't in school.

FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER: You've been helping.////FROM JACK: Sometimes we teach and we learn without even knowing that it's taking place. I like this quote: "Don't worry that children never listen to you. Worry that they're always watching you." (Robert Fulghum)

FROM LG IN MICHIGAN: Love this one, Jack! Made me laugh out loud! Have a great day!////FROM JACK: I hope you didn't laugh so hard that your sides split. With brains falling out and sides splitting...what a mess!

FROM TAMPA SHIRL: Besides my parents, of course, all of the wonderful teachers that I have had along the way, and many friends who have so many interests, and now my grandchildren are great with the technological stuff.////FROM JACK: Back when I was in high school, my bookkeeping teacher said that it would be wise to keep an eye on a cutting-edge company...IBM. They were feeding cards into a machine at the time.

FROM RJP IN FLORIDA: Good one Jack. As a youngster I never knew my dad's politics, only that he always voted. Yet he set the moral compass and that is what is important.////FROM JACK: I wonder if it's TV that has made the difference and the emphasis on "gotcha" situations.////RJP AGAIN: Certainly a major contribution comes from TV. Is it not amazing how educationally productive and sadly how destructive TV can be at the same time. The beauty of our system is we have to take some bad if we want to enjoy the good in society. Love how thought provoking you are.

FROM FLOWER POWER: Very good - I like it. Although this might not fit your mission l have always enjoyed and often repeated "I don't care how much it costs - only how much it makes" I'm not sure who said it first - but I'd like to think it was Howard Hughes. ////FROM JACK: Your quote sounds like it came from the Yankee front office.