We call those poets who are first to mark, Through earth's dull mist the coming of the dawn, Who see in twilight's gloom the first pale spark, While others only note that day is gone.
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.Read
A person is always startled when he hears himself seriously called an old man for the first time.
Interpretation
Aging often catches us off guard, as we may not see ourselves as old despite societal labels.
This quote reflects the universal experience of aging, where individuals often resist the label of 'old' despite their chronological age. It suggests that our self-perception can differ significantly from how others perceive us, and the realization that we are considered 'old' can be both surprising and unsettling.
In practice
During a retirement speech, one might reference this quote to emphasize the surprise of realizing one's age.
We call those poets who are first to mark, Through earth's dull mist the coming of the dawn, Who see in twilight's gloom the first pale spark, While others only note that day is gone.
Every real thought on every real subject knocks the wind out of somebody or other.
The very aim and end of our institutions is just this: that we may think what we like and say what we think.
Don't you stay at home of evenings? Don't you love a cushioned seat in a corner, by the fireside, with your slippers on your feet?
Sin has many tools, but a lie is the handle which fits them all.
Take your needle, my child, and work at your pattern; it will come out a rose by and by. Life is like that - one stitch at a time taken patiently and the pattern will come out all right like the embroidery.
You can accept or reject the way you are treated by other people, but until you heal the wounds of your past, you will continue to bleed. You can bandage the bleeding with food, with alcohol, with drugs, with work, with cigarettes, with sex, but eventually, it will all ooze through and stain your life. You must find the strength to open the wounds, stick your hands inside, pull out the core of the pain that is holding you in your past, the memories, and make peace with them.
We have been ruled by men who live by illusions ... the illusion that there is some other way of creating wealth than hard work and satisfying your customers.
Sandwich every bit of criticism between two layers of praise.
When you have known the kiss of a flaying knife, a laugh loses all its power to hurt you.
Never invest in any idea you can't illustrate with a crayon
I have learned that as long as I hold fast to my beliefs and values - and follow my own moral compass - then the only expectations I need to live up to are my own.
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