I was up terribly early. Before four am…I call that early. After 4 is better. Often I lay in bed and I argue with myself. Should I continue to lie here in the dark, hoping for sleep to come back, or get up, drink coffee and do what I love best…read? If it is 4:01, it takes only a minute or two to choose the latter.
I am so grateful to be a reader. I don’t think my house could contain all of the books I have read in my life. I wish I had kept some sort of record. I can’t remember the names of the books or the authors. I store much of what they wrote in my brain, however, and when it fits into a conversation, I will say: “I read somewhere that…”. It is too bad that I can’t back up the stuff I say with some authority, some name dropped that will give credence to my words.
My question is, When does the knowledge you gain from reading and listening become your own? Does that only happen when someone has PHD or MDiv behind their name? Will anyone ever say, “Judy Jeub once said…” and that will be plenty of credential for whatever that person is sharing.
Bernie and I went to a memorial service for a woman in Little Falls who died recently. I knew Jan through my experience of teaching parenting at Morrison County Jail, where she also taught. Bernie knew her through the Boys & Girls Club where her daughter attended and she became a staunch supporter.
On the back side of the memorial program her family listed her words of wisdom: “Janisms – A collection of our favorite quotes from Momma Jan – a very funny lady!” Jan was the mother of 13 children. Here are a few of the quotes:
“My house, my rules.”
“Seriously, you can’t fix stupid.”
“This is a bedroom, not a barnyard.”
“I pick my battles and give the rest to someone else.”
“Every child is of value and deserves to be protected.”
“If I wanted a smart-ass, I’d get an ass with a brain in it.”
“Laundry, dishes, 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week…foldy, doldy doldy.”
“I love you all equally, I just love you differently…and at different times.”
“Children are our future.”
“Why do they call them smart phones if I see such dumb people running around with them?”
“Move on, no regrets, keep going.”
Now, there is a woman worth quoting!