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Chin Ups

"ADVERSITY IS A GIFT"

Rosalie Griesse is not a famous person and to the casual observer looks like a typical middle-class woman in her 70's with a pleasant disposition. Only those who have heard her story appreciate all she has been through and marvel at her positive attitude.

At a young age, Rosalie was diagnosed with scoliosis, a disease of the spine, that could only be corrected by several back operations over an extended period of time. As if that wasn't bad enough, six months before her first operation, her father was murdered in their home one night by an intruder. Then she had to spend nine months alone in the hospital for two back operations and wasn't allowed to see her mother or brothers. In those days it was thought that it would be too painful for young patients to have to keep separating from their families, so they theorized that it was better for them not to see their families at all! So for nine long months, twelve-year old Rosalie had to lie in bed in a body cast amongst total strangers while still grieving her father's death.

Since then Rosalie has gone through numerous back operations and been involved in several back-breaking accidents and yet at age 70+ she can say that her back has been a "blessing" because of all the wonderful doctors and nurses who have entered her life, some of whom have become lifelong friends. She claims that one of her secrets to happiness has been that she focuses on all that she can still do and not on the many things that her disease keeps her from being able to do. Despite her many struggles in life, Rosalie Griesse has managed to come out a winner with an unbelievably positive attitude.

Missing Persons

To help us update our directory, if you know the author of the following wise old saying, please send the author along with the saying to: SnippetsMail@aol.com.

"It takes one to know one."

Telling Tales

Mr. Jones' Dilemma

Mr. Jones was the owner of a small manufacturing company. When his nephew, Carl, came of age, he wanted to bring him into the business. At first he had Carl out on the road selling, but Carl wasn't aggressive enough and didn't make many sales. Then he tried Carl in the manufacturing department, but Carl was too thorough and took too much time. Then he tried Carl in human resources, but Carl was too kind and the other employees took advantage of him.

Finally, as a last ditch effort, the frustrated Mr. Jones decided to put Carl in customer relations and, lo and behold, he was wonderful. He was kind to all who called, was very mild-mannered and took the time to make everyone happy. The customers were thrilled and spread the word to all their friends about Mr. Jones' fabulous company.

Moral: "No one is good at everything, but everyone is good at something."

Words of Wisdom

"I will let no man drag me down so low as to make me hate him."
Booker T. Washington (1856-1915)

Thimbleful of Therapy

"Middle age is when the broadness of the mind and the narrowness of the waist change places."
Unknown

As a Matter of Fact

"Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite" is a saying held over from the American colonial days. The "sleep tight" portion of this old saying (which may have originated back in Shakespeare's time) had to do with tightening the ropes that supported the mattresses on old rope beds. The ropes sagged over time from use, so had to periodically be tightened to make the bed firmer.

The second part of the saying is exclusive of the first part. It refers to bed bugs that sometimes lived in the wooden frame of the bed (not the straw mattress as is commonly thought today). The two parts of the saying appear together, because they were both concerns of the time.

(Source:"The House of Seven Gables" in Salem, Massachusetts)

Sayings Sampler

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained", a wise old saying written by Chaucer (c.1343-1400), is the first thing that came to mind recently when we got an annual fee charge on our credit card bill. The monthly statement clearly states that the only way to get out of paying the fee is to cancel your card. Yet every year we call them up and politely ask if there is any way to waive the fee without cancelling the card. Each time the representative on the phone pleasantly says in return that they will remove the fee from our bill the following month. We have been successful with this approach with a couple of different cards for several years. We knew we had nothing to lose by trying and that the worse that could happen was that they would say "no"!

Talent Show

In each issue of "Snippets" we print contributions sent in by our readers. Anyone who wants to share their talent is welcome to send us their creation to show in "Snippets". If you have a wise new saying, a fable, an inspirational story or a fact about a wise old saying that you would like to share, please send it to: SnippetsMail@aol.com.

This week's features are:

"You can't expect a bird to fly with broken wings." Anonymous

"You had no choice how you were born, but you have all the choices in the way you live." Alice Robertson

"If you aren't careful, your kids will suck the marrow right out of your bones." Anonymous (meant to be humorous!)

Blankety Blanks

"What's good for the ______ is good for the ______."

The answer to last week's "Blankety Blank" is:
"Know which side your bread is buttered on."

Discombobbles

"Is fair a robbery no exchange."

The answer to last week's "Discombobble" is:
"No one gets through life unscathed."

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March 15, 2001
Issue No. 34

Welcome to "Snippets"

Special Request

- The meaning of the saying "I don't know him from John's off ox".

- The origin of the expression "Naked as a jay bird". Is it in reference to a jailbird?

- The correct phrasing of the saying about "losing something in the translation". Is it "Something always gets lost in the translation", "You always lose something in the translation" or some other form?

- The origin of the expression "What in the Sam Hill are you doing?" or "Who in the Sam Hill do you think you are."

- The exact wording of "Rode hard, ...". Is it "Rode hard, put up wet" or "Rode hard, put away wet"?

- The meaning of the saying "You thought like Paddy dreamt".

Saying for the Week

Chin Ups

"HAVE CONFIDENCE IN YOURSELF AND YOU CAN LICK ANYTHING"

Despite Scott Hamilton's successes in later life as a figure skater, his early years were full of teasing, ill health and frustration. The fact that he was adopted and mysteriously stopped growing at a young age, made him a target for teasing from other children. He spent several years in and out of hospitals as doctors tried unsuccessfully to diagnose what was wrong with him. They had just about given up hope when he discovered ice skating. Desperate to help their son, his parents agreed to let him have skating lessons.

Scott loved skating and miraculously started to grow again. His dream was to make it to the Olympics. Even though he was told he was too small and that male figure skaters were not popular with audiences and despite financial difficulties, Scott stayed focused and positive on this dream. As a result, his dream came true and he not only made it to the Olympics, but won a gold medal and repeatedly won the men's figure skating world championship. His determined spirit and positive attitude helped him get through many challenges in his life including losing his mother to cancer and battling cancer himself.

Missing Persons

To help us update our directory, if you know the author of the following wise old saying, please send the author along with the saying to: SnippetsMail@aol.com.

"A miss is as good as a mile."

Telling Tales

A Wish Granted

A humble woodsman lived with his wife in a clearing in the forest near the king's castle. Every day the woodsman wished he was a king living in the castle. One day the king paid a visit to the woodsman's cottage with a proposal. The king's physician had ordered him to take a complete rest from his duties and he needed someone to rule over the kingdom while he rested. He asked the woodsman if he would sit in as the king's prefect. The woodsman was overjoyed. He and his wife packed and left immediately for the castle leaving the king to rest in the cottage.

That very day the woodsman took the throne and began to rule the kingdom. Right away two men came arguing about a lot of land each desired. Who should get the land? Next a wandering knight called to ask if he could stay at the castle for a time. Would that be all right? Then the king's cook came to complain that he needed meat for the upcoming feast. Where would they get the meat? No sooner had the cook left when the sergeant of the guard brought in one of his men for punishment. What punishment should be levied? At the same time, the sheriff brought in a thief caught stealing a neighbor's chicken. What should his punishment be? Then the king's clerk came to request more funds to repair the castle's roof. How much could he have? Finally the queen's maid came and informed the woodsman that several bolts of cloth were needed to complete the gown the queen was having made for herself. Could she have more money?

The bewildered woodsman put his hands to his head and shook his head slowly from side to side. The king's role had looked very appealing until the woodsman realized how much responsibility it is to rule a kingdom. Many other burdens were put on him before he finally left the castle. After just two days he returned to his cottage and begged the king to reassume the throne. The king smiled and mounted his horse to return to the castle. Never before had the woodsman so appreciated his humble setting and simple tasks. Never again would he wish to be a grand and powerful king.

Moral: It pays to be content with your lot.

Words of Wisdom

"We cannot prevent the birds of sorrow from flying over our heads, but we can refuse to let them build nests in our hair."
Chinese Proverb

Thimbleful of Therapy

"One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries."
A.A. Milne (1882-1956)

As a Matter of Fact

Some time ago we asked our readers if anyone knew the author of "Nothing ventured, nothing gained". Laurie Castillo kindly sent us the transformation of this saying over time. It was first coined by Chaucer (1343-1400) as "For he the naught n'assaieth, naught n'achieveth". Then it was picked up by John Heywood (c.1497-1580) in his book of proverbs as "Nought venter, nought have" and later by W.S. Gilbert (1836-1911) in Iolanthe as "Nothing venture, nothing win". How the saying evolved into today's popular version of "Nothing ventured, nothing gained" still remains a mystery!

Sayings Sampler

Down through the ages, many cultures have observed that everyone has troubles. "The rain falls on every roof" is an African Proverb that acknowledges this sentiment. The fascinating thing about wise old sayings is that they transcend time. It is still true today that no one goes through life without problems, be it financial troubles, emotional problems, physical ailments, stress, loss of a loved one, divorce, layoff, etc. It's a comfort at the end of a bad day to know that we are not alone in our suffering and that everyone gets hit with something.

Talent Show

In each issue of "Snippets" we print contributions sent in by our readers. Anyone who wants to share their talent is welcome to send us their creation to show in "Snippets". If you have a wise new saying, a fable, an inspirational story or a fact about a wise old saying that you would like to share, please send it to: SnippetsMail@aol.com.

This week's features are:

"You can't change the past, but you can improve the future."
Tim Lester (age 17)

"Gifts are reflections of how others perceive you."
Gregory Rich

"Arrogance is the full sister of ignorance."
Ruben Zuniga