THINGS DAD SAID

I actually forgot the best one, which he got from his grandfather, “Never trust a man that does not carry a knife and something to write with. Because an honest man who does honest work will need them every day.” This got brought up from time to time when someone asked to borrow a knife or pen.
My Dad told me " A man should always carry a pocketknife . " That was 55 years ago and you won't catch me without one .
 
When sent for a tool and not finding it. "If it was a rattlesnake it would have bit you."

When work was going on and you're not helping out. "If you're standing around watching someone work, you're standing in the wrong place. Get to work or go somewhere else."

When you're slowing him down in something he's trying to do. "You're layin on my leg." Not sure where that one comes from, but when he was in his late 80's and I was now carrying the load, I jokingly used that one on him. The crushed look on his face told me that it must have come from his dad. I never forgot that look and never used one of his sayings on him again.
 
Disregard this message Meant to be in another thread.
 
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One day Pop and I were talking about the lifespans of the men in our family. Happily they had been pretty long. But he was always worried about me because I lived alone and was sometimes overweight. His great line was, "You got good genes. Don't blow it."

As an addition to the tradition of eating pork and sauerkraut on New Year's Day, Pop would say, "Don't eat chicken on New Year's, or you'll be scratching for a living."

But probably the best of Pop's lines came out when I thought he was being a little meddlesome with his advice "If the older generation didn't pass along its knowledge to the younger generation, we'd still be living in caves." Now I find this saying coming out of my mouth!
 
“As long as you live under my roof, you’ll live by my rules”
“Actions have consequences”
“Don’t start a fight, but always be the one to finish it”
“A man is only as good as his word”
“Never ask someone to do anything you’re not willing to do yourself”
“Don’t EVER draw a gun unless you're willing to pull the trigger”
“A job worth doing is worth doing right”
“Don’t start something you can’t finish”

Dad will turn 80 this April. Vietnam Vet and one of the hardest workers I’ve ever known.
 
Best one from Dad: "Follow your Gut"

Which was usually followed closely by "Follow your Heart" from Mom if she was in earshot.

I had trouble reading through this thread...the words kept blurring(and still are). I still miss my Dad terribly even though he has been gone for almost 30 years.

My parents were much older because I was adopted by my Great Uncle and his Wife at birth. My Dad was born in 1909 and I know that The Great Depression had an overwhelming influence on both of their lives and of everyone in their generation. I remember an interview with Rush Limbaugh once where he went into great detail about how it affected his Dad and the ensuing influence that was passed to him through his Dad.

I was always close to both of my parents, but Mom was the nurturer and Dad was generally a man of few words. He distrusted people that liked to blab in a self aggrandizing way. We did a lot together and I have to say he taught me everything I know. But we never really seemed to talk a lot when we were doing things together. He was instructive and concise, but not prone to small talk.

Mom passed a few years before Dad, and that's when we really started to bond. He insisted on living alone in the house they built for their retirement, and at 80+ years old, I worried about him a lot. He still drove and mowed the yard himself and hated anyone doting on him or doing what he called "charity work" for him.

I would visit him every day, usually on my way home from work, and we would just talk. The stories he would share with me of his experiences though the Depression, World War 2, Korea, etc., were enthralling and I have to consider those years quite formative in my life even though I was in my late 20's and early 30's.
 
Not from my Dad, but other older people or bosses I respected:

Don't be a $10 solution for a 10¢ problem.

Their failure to act in a timely manner, is no reason for you to make it a 'rush' / 'emergency'. Tomorrow will be soon enough.

People shopping for 'their' answer, doesn't mean you have to make it work.

Every morning, do those 30 minute jobs before you start a 4 hour project. You get graded on the number of completed jobs, not how many things you have started.

Sometimes the correct answer is a polite NO.

The 3 most important phrases in life: I made a mistake; I don't know how; I need help.

Never forget to say 'Thank you' to the people helping you.
 
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