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children, economist, Family, father, humor, learned so far, lessons, life, Mother, parent, teachers
“what is the most important thing you’ve learned in your life so far?”
My blogging friend KSBETH asks this question on her wise and observant blog, I didn’t have my glasses on….
Well, I’m really old, so I’ve had time to learn important things from many people:
Sister Mary Second Grade:
- I before E except after C (or when sounded like A as in neighbor and weigh).
- If you put a spin on the side of the ball in kickball, your girls’ team will mop the playground with the boys’ team. It’s all down to exactly how you kick their balls.

For more humor, kids, pets, death, and other (mostly) funny stuff, please check out my book! [click on image for previews, reviews, and buy links from Amazon]
Sister Mary Third Grade:
- Always wear nice underwear in case you get hit by a bus. [NOTE: Sister would NOT have been pleased to hear we modified this a few years later to include shaving your legs and the possibility of a hot date…]
Sisters Mary Fourth-Twelfth Grades:
- Remember girls: teenage boys are raging masses of single-minded hormones. And they smell bad. [NOTE: over these years, our reaction to this piece of advice went from abject horror to the spirit of scientific inquiry demanding that we reproduce the Sisters’ results. Lots.]
- Don’t show your nice underwear to anyone (boy or bus) until after you’re married. [See above note…]
My Mother:
- Bailey’s Irish Cream for when you’re well, and a hot toddy for when you’re not.
- If you get an offer, give it a shot. The age of slavery is over, so if you don’t like your job (Or your house. Or your date…), you can vote with your feet.
My Father:
- Check the fluids. And carry jumper cables.
- There’s always plenty of food and a bed for family. (If you rang our doorbell at dinner time and you were a cousin, knew a cousin, or correctly guessed the partial name of a cousin, you were brought in, another plate was jammed into the dozen already set up, and you got the first serving of pot roast. Meanwhile, kids were evicted from the “guest” room and you were urged to stay the night. At least.)
This wasn’t our family but scary similar… [Image credit: Wings Daily News]
The Hub (an Economist):
- There’s something called M1. It has nothing to do with a busy motorway in England, and everything to do with the money supply. If you’re not very, very careful he’ll tell you what it is. Lots.
My Children:
Some things I taught my children—how to tie their shoes, drive a car, do their own laundry, sew on a button, and not mix stripes with plaid. Some things they just figured out on their own (or IDK in the streets or somewhere)—how to tell jokes, draw, write, travel the world, and rock the stripe/plaid mix. Some things they learned from others—foreign languages, social media outlets that are NSF mamas, and how to make a mean risotto out of an almost empty larder.
But some things, some really important things, they teach me every day—the joys of discovery, passion for justice, practice of compassion, and therapeutic value of the group mani/pedi.

Learning from some of my best teachers…
What is the most important thing you’ve learned in your life so far?
thanks for sharing and i love your life lessons!
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Thanks for the inspiration!
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I learned a lot from my parents, the most important was “Don´t eat the yellow snow.” I´ve also learned much from my kids and more recently from my grandkids. I have passed on the yellow snow wisdom to all of them. Happy New Year!!
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Somehow, growing up in California, I missed the yellow snow memo. Your kids and their kids are lucky to have your wisdom!
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Reblogged this on anita dawes and jaye marie.
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Thank you bunches for the reblog!
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You’re welcome, Barb!
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I have learned so many things in my lifetime, but the most valuable, I think, is to never doubt my capabilities. I can do anything, might not be great all the time, but I won’t know if I don’t try…
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Excellent words to live by!
Remember that old Kris Kristofferson song,
“But I’d rather be sorry for something I’ve done
Than for something that I didn’t do.”
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He was right’
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Love this and reblogged it on growingyoungereachday.wordpress.com.
By the way, growing up in London I didn’t get the yellow snow advice, but by the time we, lived in Canada I’d worked it out for myself and passed it onto my Kids. Nice post, thanks.
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The important life advice I missed by growing up in California!
Thanks so so much for the reblog. And best wishes for a wonderful 2019.
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If you have a chance to help someone don’t wait. Act right away.
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I’ve always thought the “golden rule” a little lightweight. Your’s is SO much better!
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Reblogged this on I choose how I will spend the rest of my life and commented:
I wantyed to share these thoughts with you.
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Reblogged this on Sue Vincent's Daily Echo.
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Thanks for the reblog (and SORRY for delay in responding)!
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❤
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I haven’t laughed so hard since I was walking down the hall in my netting petticoat, those that made your skirts stand straight out all around, and suddenly this boy came running up behind me, and I had walked right out it! Oh Lordy, I am glad I had on clean underwear!
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Hard to pick just one, but after seeing a promotion for bad advice (“stay sexy and don’t get murdered” ?!?!), I’m leaning toward “Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway.”
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Hahaha! I used to say if you turn down the chance to do something you’ve always said you wanted to do, it’s a sign you’re getting old. (That explains a number of my too-close encounters with death, law enforcement, and the IRS.) Now I’m pretty sure that getting old beats the hell out of the alternative.
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Best life lessons, Barb. Love, love this post!!
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Thank you SO much Jennie!
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You’re welcome, Barb!
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Oh, and what is the most important thing I have learned? As I told Beth, kindness matters. 🙂
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Ha! Terrific choice to share, Barb.
I think the main thing I’ve learned is that if I sit quietly and listen, people will tell you things. But they also tell you far more than you want to know, so maybe don’t sit quietly. LOL. Happy New Year hugs!
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I know what you mean. My HR career taught me that people literally can’t stand silence. If I didn’t says something, they would rush to fill the empty air, often with the most appalling confessions… Sadly, this applies elsewhere too. I can’t tell you how many life stories I’ve heard while waiting in line at the grocers. Things I’d think people would commit felonies to keep concealed are cheerfully tossed up with the frozen pizzas and toilet paper.
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Gotta hand it to the old man … ya always gotta carry jumper cables with ya wherever ya go!!! I really hope you took that to heart.
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Now I have this handy little gadget that starts a dead car battery, recharges my phone, and powers my laptop. It charges itself via the cigarette lighter just like my two other indispensables—one inflates a tire, and the other boils water for a cuppa. My father would be so proud (and a wee bit jealous)!
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Great post – with meaning. A big life lesson – is tell the truth (kindly), even when people don’t really want to hear it – and the majority of people you encounter will have hidden agendas, and …children are so much better than big people.
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Pingback: Debunking Granny… | Sue Vincent's Daily Echo
It took me forever to read this post. First my face hurts from grinning through it and then I have to read every single comment. I loved every word. I’m going to track down to the person who told me to read your blog and send them a thank you card. 🙂 Advice? I don’t remember advice. I learn everything the hard way. Experience. 😉
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So sorry about the slow read. But I do appreciate the grins!
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The slow read is my issue. But I really wanted to absorb this one. I’m not good with advice but the one thing I’ve learned in my 70 years, sometimes helping isn’t helping. It’s a hard one for most of us to get because we want to be kind and helpful. Sometimes, it’s better to let a person’s path unfold until they get where they have to get to grow. You made us think here. A very good thing.
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Loved this. This piece of advice has always stuck with me. It came from a car workshop manual, but I think it’s applicable off-road too;
Always leave time and room for someone else’s mistake. 😉
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