Say What?

As I tried to fall asleep, last night, I was trying to think of something to share with all my readers. Thoughts of other people and their famous sayings began to run through my head: King Solomon with his collection of Proverbs, some of the humor of Will Rogers, and a few political jabs from President Ronald Reagan. Then I wondered if anything I have said or done will be remembered. Even though I’ve written books and could be thought of as a writer or an author, I think of myself as a wordsmith, because I enjoy playing with words. When I say something, I like to make people think. I often use sayings that have double meanings or I share something humorous. If I haven’t made someone smile, my day isn’t complete.

While I was working as a nursing supervisor at H. C. Frick Hospital in Mt. Pleasant, Pennsylvania, I was often asked, “How are you doing?” My reply would frequently be, “Oh, I’m managing.”

One year after Christmas, I made the resolution that I again I often shared by saying, “I’ve decided to keep the Christmas spirit all year long, this year.” The person to which I was speaking would smile, probably thinking, “How nice of you,” until I would add in jest, “Bah, humbug.”

Another resolution I developed for myself is one that I share with checkout clerks or sometimes with people that I meet in public as we talk casually. “If I’m grouchy, I don’t leave the house.” Then I say, “Nobody likes to deal with a grouchy old man.” I’ve had clerks say they appreciate that or they will share a horror story that they’ve had to endure.

My kids tease, “Dad, you must not go out too often.”

Another of my pithy sayings gets used fairly often. “I aim when I aim at all” and it has a myriad of meanings from my bathroom skills to my goals in life.

None of these quips will win me the Nobel Prize in Literature, I’m sure. But if any of them have put a smile on your lips, I’ve have aimed well and achieved my goal.