Semi-Daily Scribbles

Grandpa pelted me with many pearls of wisdom when I was a kid. His lessons and occasional swearing were meant to toughen me up, and prepare me for the rigors of adulthood.

"Take no guff unless you're giving it."
"Pigs and pity have a way of digging up what you want kept hidden."
"Saying yes more often than no is the recipe for an eventful life."
"Judy, your shit really does stink."
"To risk nothing is to risk it all."

Whenever I'd hand out, like Tic Tacs, one of these useful reminders to a classmate, I'd get laughed at, called a freak, or left standing alone at the tetherball court. That hurt, and still rubs me the wrong way. Those were my grandpa's pearls. He didn't hand them over lightly. By taking his words to heart, my life has become full of wonder, and completely open for public viewing. I remain grateful, humble, and hard to mess with. I can only hope my playground peers were given their own gems to protect them out in the unforgiving world.