Proverbial Wisdom

       I enjoy retirement and the time it gives me to research important and meaningless topics. I spend a lot of time on my computer exploring and recently went down the ‘proverb’ internet trail. Proverbs in the Bible are a pleasure to read, however proverbs outside of the Bible, along with metaphors, parable-type statements and directions on the Stove Top box leave me scratching my head. Proverbs are a category of literature, the analysis of which has been ignored long enough. Looking up the word ‘Proverb,’ I learned that a proverb is a short pithy saying. Pithy? Next, I looked up the word ‘pithy.’ Pithy: full of pith. Better informed, I will move forward.

 A lot of proverbial expressions are inaccurately attributed to the Bible. Some people are disappointed to learn that ‘God helps those that help themselves’ is not in the Bible. This popular expression was not penned by Moses or David but by our very own Ben Franklin.  I welcome this as good news because I don’t really want to have Divine Assistance be based on my self-help performance. Ben Franklin, on the other hand, was an accomplished individual, someone who could smile at his self-help accomplishments—electricity and so forth. Good job, Ben.

       Growing up, I often heard the expression, ‘Into each life some rain must fall.’ When I moved to Florida, I purchased knee high rain boots, a very stylish raincoat, and a large sturdy umbrella. It rained a lot. When I went to the Arizona desert, I wondered if my life would improve. There was very little rain. Was life any better? One day the temperature hit 108 degrees. Not to appear shallow and ignorant of proverbial wisdom, all I can say is that it was very hot.

        Another proverb, ‘Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water,’ always stumped me. I heard it a lot in my parent’s house, I would nod and smile pretending to get it. This one still stretches my brain. ‘Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.’ Think. The bathwater cleans the baby, when the process is done the baby is clean and the water is dirty, you throw out the water, you keep the clean baby. Think. It helps to substitute other words in the same pattern when trying to understand a proverb. If you are cutting the lawn don’t throw the grass out with the lawnmower. You don’t throw out the lawn mower. If you are washing dishes, don’t throw the dishes away when done. Absolutely not, that would be a big mistake.

      The writing of proverbs seems to have stopped around the turn of the 19th century. Needless to say, I will attempt to fill the void. • Don’t take a bath after a shower. • Bite the sandwich but leave the crust. (They’re starting to flow.) • Don’t wash a car that won’t start.

Yes, well, I think that I know why the writing of proverbs is a lost art. My short attention span has kicked in, so I will now explore other forms of nonconventional writing. Shall we scrutinize the Haiku and the, oh-so-literary, limerick? Haiku is an interesting poetic style, and so are limericks. Unfortunately, limericks are associated with drunk Irish people which stirs my native blood a little. Not a lot, just a little. Haiku are associated with sensitivity and thought. Could these be representative of cultural differences? Let’s reverse the cultures. What would a Japanese limerick look like? “There once was a maid from Tokyo . . . ” And now, an Irish Haiku: “Ice floating in a glass of clear liquid.”

       Let’s take a closer look at Haiku. The definition of Haiku is: Japanese poetry that embraces two images with a word that joins them in a very sensitive, creative and somewhat boring manner. Next, let’s delve deeper into the classic Limerick. Limerick is named after a town in Ireland, and it is a short often obscene rhyme sung or chanted in bars by my ancestors. Questions flood my creative mind. Could someone, namely me, translate Dante’s Inferno into limerick form? Should I google Beowulf? Did Shakespeare visit Ireland? The possibilities seem endless, so many opportunities for research and study! Wait. Stop. Should I be doing this? What does Proverbial Wisdom say? If the Shoe Fits Wear It. When In Rome, Do as the Romans Do. A Bird in the Hand Is Worth Two in the Bush. I will pick one. I pick, I pick . . . Better Late Than Never.