Pearls of wisdom from your dad.

[SteveSS]

If we were working on some family project like a deck and my brother and I would be arguing about how to go about it my dad would say, "Do something, even if it's wrong." There's a lot of wisdom in that. I think of it when I'm stalled on a project.

The only thing I can think of that I've told my kids is. "Buy the least expensive house in the best neighborhood you can afford." Now the house we built is not crappy it's in the lower 1/3 of a really expensive neighborhood and it's gone up over 300%. Things like I did the landscaping myself and finished the basement, etc.

One thing I messed up on. I overdid the landscaping and it's a bitch to maintain now that I'm older. (A pond with a fountain is one example.)

 

[Coelacanth]

"Don't make fun of someone who has an accent...it means they know another language."

 

[SlingLow]

If there's a line for food, get in it.

 

[khryslerkid]

"This is going to hurt me as much..." oh wait that was something else.

"You need to install an exhaust fan in that truck." (That was something else too)

"Do it right the first time." (Not always the case)

"If you don't make a mess as you're working, you don't have one to clean up when you're done". (Not as easy as it sounds.)

 

[Ron H]

My dear-departed dad was one calm guy. Always kept his cool. His words of wisdom he had occasions to mention to me:

“If you lose your temper, you’ve lost.”
If something went wrong “Always look at the simple stuff first.”
"If you won't do it right, don't do it." (He was a perfectionist and it was golden when he said 'nice job'.)

One more recollection, lol. My mother being pretty much opposite would get irritated with my dad being so laid back when she’d expect him to be flustered. He calmly said “Think about it. Can you change it being worried about it since it’s beyond anything you can control? Whatever’s going to happen isn’t going to change by worrying about it.”

He was the sort who never got into idle chat much. So much about him my brother and I wished we know more. Many great times with him, but more of his past we learned from our mother than him. He had to grow up quick helping support the family at an early age. He'd be 108 now.

 

[eldubb440]

Pop was a welder/iron worker..... "always cover your dick"

and this classic..... "Ed Sullivan ruined this country!"

 

[BLK 68 R/T]

Mine always told me whenever I was working on something to wear safety glasses. “You only get one chance with your eyes, protect them, wear your safety glasses.”

 

[Pecos Bill]

Do it right the first time.

A man without a pair of pliers ain't worth squat.

Judge yourself.

Mine is a contractor. He's calmed down quite a bit with time. However, when I was younger, if someone else did something wrong, I was the one that got yelled at. Now he calls me to help him out to keep from yelling at everyone else.

 

[68-500]

When I was younger and chasing the girls. He once told me. ”Son the f*+>ing you’re getting now is nothing like the f#%<ing you’re going to get.” I thought wow that will be amazing! I later learned what he truly meant.