Joseph Ambrose, an 86-year-old World War I veteran, attends the dedication day parade for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in 1982. He is holding the flag that covered the casket of his son, who was killed in the Korean War (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Veterans Day went by just like any other day. I know it is dedicated to the veterans out there (and I am proud of them). However, my father really isn’t around to celebrate it. That day meant a lot to him. However, I am not a veteran. Thus, I could not actually celebrate a day that is dedicated to other more deserving people.
Still, it reminded me of a lot of the lessons that my father tried to instill within me. A lot of times I listened. Other times, I did not. Being that hindsight is 20/20 like ABC info shows, he was always trying to tell me the truth.
In fact, let me break down some old age wisdom that he worked to make sure that I understood:
Don’t be a dummy. Click life’s safety belt.
a.) An educated person is a better person: yeah, I would remind myself of this one as a kid. I would even say it during church (hilariously enough). Still, it stays within my heart because it was the unadulterated truth. This is something that sticks because, at the end of the day, you can’t be an intellect making dummy choices.
Peace to MMG!!!
b.) Don’t be a poor man making rich man decisions (and vice versa): try to save your money as much as possible. If you need to spend it, then work to spend the least amount as possible. Enjoy life. Still, make sure that you have something to give the next generation.
c.) Call a spade a spade: now this is one that isn’t very popular among people nowadays. More than anything, we work to preserve people’s feelings about their own failures and shortcomings. I don’t work to do that. Sometimes, people need to learn to respect the honest truth before that disrespect of it gets them pimp slapped by reality. Why mince words when the truth should be swallowed whole?
You have smelled them before: nothing but grease and onions. Don’t smell like grease and onions.
d.) Cleanliness is next to Godliness: be clean. Be neat. Be orderly. It works wonders when you are trying to function in this world. Trust me, it does. If you have seen hoarders or smelled someone that reeks of White Castle burgers and they haven’t been eating anything, you understand.
This is just some of the better advice that I have learned from my favorite veteran of them all: my father.
‘Nuff Said and ‘Nuff Respect!!!
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