As Christmas approaches, it’s natural to think about the holidays, and happy times spent with family members over the years. I was engaged in this behaviour the other day when I happened to think about my own father, a remarkable fellow who was the most optimistic person I ever knew. He enjoyed the challenge of working with some of the most difficult customers imaginable, and more often than not, turning them into lifelong friends. Growing up, he shared many of his favourite sayings with me, sayings which struck me, at the time, as being completely illogical. It was only after I had grown up (and hopefully grown a little wiser, too) that I realized the genius behind so many of these sayings. For example:
1. “If you want something done, give it to the man (or woman) who is busy.” When I first heard this gem, I concluded that the “old man” had finally lost his marbles. People who are busy don’t need more work, so why burden them down, especially if there are others who are not busy? Ultimately, I learned the reasoning: those who are busy don’t have time to waste, so they take the task and get it down—quickly, while those with time on their hands can waste countless hours fooling around and pretending to work.
2. “She’s enjoyed poor health for years.” At the time I heard this one, it simply made no sense. Someone in poor health seldom finds any enjoyment in the fact. In time, though, I found (as I’m sure you have also found) that there are a lot of people who complain, endlessly, about some imagined ache or pain, and the attention they receive is enjoyable, at least for them. For those of us who have to sit through listening to all these complaints, enjoyment is just a vague memory, indeed. Of course, should these people actually become seriously ill, an explosion of whining and complaining is virtually guaranteed.
3. “He (or she) is to be more pitied than condemned.” I didn’t have to “grow” into understanding this gem, as it as obvious from the beginning. However, it’s a good saying to keep in mind. Daily, our lives are bombarded by the media with negative “short snappers” that criticize politicians, business leaders, sports figures, and countless others, constantly. In this climate, it’s easy to become cynical and critical ourselves and reach a point where every politician is a liar, and every businessperson is a crook. Rather than fall into the trap, I remind myself of this saying. Instead of constantly condemning everyone who pops up on the media’s radar, let’s have a little pity, or even better, a little understanding.
4. “It doesn’t get any greener.” This saying came out whenever we were stuck behind a car at a set of lights, lights that had long ago turned green. When patience finally turned to frustration, my Dad would bellow out the saying to encourage the driver to proceed.
5. “I have to make money on my friends, as my enemies won’t buy from me.” As a business owner, we seldom want to point out this piece of reality, to customers or friends alike, but there is no denying the truth. If we don’t make money on our friends, we’ll go out of business.
There were many more, but I’m sure you get the idea by now. So, thanks Dad for all the wonderful memories. I wish each of you and all of you the Merriest Christmas ever. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the holidays with friends and family. And please travel carefully; in the grand scheme of things, you are still one of the “good guys.”
Brian McLeod is a St. Albert resident.
