Archives July 2022

There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.
(Ecclesiastes 1:11)

This is the last installment of my copy of Old Hillbilly Wisdom:

Always drink upstream from the herd.

Good judgment comes from experience, and most of that comes from bad judgment.

Lettin’ the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin’ it back in.

If you get to thinkin’ you’re a person of some influence, try orderin’ somebody else’s dog around.

Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll enjoy it a second time.

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.

Most times, it just gets down to common sense.

***

Another day, another dollar, they used to say. In some parts of the world, a dollar a day is still a decent wage—but not here and not now.

Here and now—that’s where we live. I know and most of us have read that it is imperative to know history. Not mis-history, but real history.

On our school bookshelf, we have world history books that span our known world history across the centuries. We also have American history that begins with the early settlers coming to this country. History can also be local as in state and city history.

History deals with many different aspects of life but in most cases, we are interested in civilizations and the people contained therein. For instance, there have been many volcanoes in the past, but Pompeii piques our interest because of the civilization it covered.

Historians on occasion use or abuse scriptures. It depends on whether they believe in God or not which path they take. Several years ago in doing research I came across a historian discussing a certain artifact discovered in an archaeological dig. The artifact looked like a child’s toy designed like a camel.

The particular person was saying it couldn’t have been from the era of Abram (Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot. (Genesis 11:27))

Of course, Abram became Abraham, and so forth—However, the professor said it couldn’t have been made in Abraham’s era, because he said, Abraham wouldn’t have known what a camel looked like.

That was some circular reasoning if ever I read it. And it was so dumb. I don’t even know where that person came up with such a stupid idea. It isn’t told us specifically that when Terah and Abram left Ur that they ladened their camels to travel but I am assuming camels were amongst the many animals that went with them.

But by the time Terah died and Abram and Sarah made it to Egypt they came out with camels. (And he (Pharoah) entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels.) (Genesis 12:16) Camels were common animals and would have been known at that time.

Prejudice is the act of pre-judging. The thing about history is civilizations have risen and fallen. Many inventions have been invented through the ages and we tend to prejudge that previous cultures were more primitive and not as advanced as we are.

What we fail to realize is that no matter, if you take a horse carriage or a modern automobile, the people of the era, are still basically the same through the ages. Our clothes may have changed but our hearts haven’t.

“As Time Goes By”

You must remember this

A kiss is just a kiss

A sigh is just a sigh

The fundamental things apply

As time goes by

Moonlight and love songs

Never out of date

Hearts full of passion

Jealousy and hate

Woman needs man, and man must have his mate

It’s still the same old story

A fight for love and glory

A case of do or die

The world will always welcome lovers
As time goes by—

In other words, humanity is engaged in the struggle of life—the same old story—hearts full of passion, jealousy, hate, love, desire for power or glory, or in the end whatever the individual may desire. That’s why it’s listed in the constitution as “Pursuit of happiness.”

Ecclesiastes 1:

2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

3 What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?

4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.

5 The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.

6 The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.

7 All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.

8 All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.

Yes, we survived the holiday weekend and have earned a reprieve… Here’s some wisdom for this week.

Don’t corner something that is meaner than you.

Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.

It don’t take a very big person to carry a grudge.

You cannot unsay a cruel word.

Every path has a few puddles.

When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.

Don’t be banging your shin on a stool that’s not in the way.

Borrowing trouble from the future doesn’t deplete the supply.

***

I try to post first thing in the week. Last week we got waylaid. I’m finally getting here. At least I’ve survived.

We did have a special fourth of July, but not without prayer. However, every celebration gets several rounds of prayer. Every one of them.

Triggered memories—My mother finished 8^th grade back in the late 1930s. High school was nice, but not a necessity in those days. There were three children in her family and only her oldest sibling, a sister, finished high school.

As I wrote, education was good but not a necessity. As long as you could read, write, and do mathematics, things were fine. By seventh and eighth grade most children in that day, knew more than high school kids of today.

Indeed, my Uncle went through the military and served during WWII with only a seventh-grade education. In earlier generations, it was as if life was short and they didn’t have time to waste.

My mother had thoughts on education that she wasn’t afraid to share. Thoughts such as higher education did not necessarily make people smarter. Thoughts such as an educated idiot is still just an—

I don’t know how she formulated some of her views, but they were still accurate. I didn’t seek out a college education for myself nor for my own children. Some of them acquired a college degree or two anyway.

I am not weighing in on the controversy of our day other than to say I agree that it seems highly unfair to require someone who did not go to college, did not end up with one of those degrees, and didn’t spend an incredible amount of money for the honor of a degree to pay for someone else who did sign up for all of those things.

What I have seen is that well-meaning parents send their offspring to one of the higher learning centers—even Christian colleges—to receive often not their children back, but strangers.

Strangers who no longer believe the same tenants as the parents. Strangers who depending on what institution they attended, come home radicalized and weird and don’t share any of their parent’s values.

I have an idea that my mother sensed that this was where higher education was going. I know in my world it was what I saw happening, even in my own generation. For my children it wasn’t somewhere I wanted to put my money, and if my children wanted that they could pay for it themselves.

Education—what is it and where does it come from? Does it always make a person wise? As a child… and as an adult, the phrase “don’t be smart with me” meant something entirely different than, “You are a smart person”.

We have access to information at the tips of our fingers—sometimes. If I’m in need of information on a specific question I’m in luck if someone with a smartphone is handy. On the other side, when those phones aren’t working right? I’ve also heard the threat, “I was tempted to see how far a smartphone can fly.”

***

Smart is no longer just memorization. In many country schools, memorization was the basic foundation that knowledge was built on. And it was a good foundation. But it was only a foundation.

Smart is not just access to information. A person who chooses not to access the information is still clueless.

Smart can include Situational awareness, Clarity of goals, Good taste, and Empathy for others. It definitely must endeavor to hone the ability to make decisions that further your goals.

The good news is that smart is a choice, and smart is a skill, and as a skill needs to be taught and used wisely.

Job 32:

4 Now Elihu had waited till Job had spoken, because they were elder than he.

5 When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, then his wrath was kindled.

6 And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said, I am young, and ye are very old; wherefore I was afraid, and durst not shew you mine opinion.

7 I said, Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom.

8 But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.

9 Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment.

10 Therefore I said, Hearken to me; I also will shew mine opinion.

11 Behold, I waited for your words; I gave ear to your reasons, whilst ye searched out what to say. 12 Yea, I attended unto you, and, behold, there was none of you that convinced Job, or that answered his words: