Off the Cuff / My Other Journal

Advice

From the moment a person opens his eyes to life, everyone begins to give him advice. Although values and opinions change with the passing of decades, some advice is timeless.

Oscar Wilde said, “The only thing to do with good advice is to pass it on. It is never of any use to oneself.” Now, this is good, solid advice to pass it on. After all, it is easier to hand out advice than follow it. I listen to others’ advices, but I don’t necessarily follow them.

Among people related to me, my grandmother was full of it…advice that is. She said the funniest weirdest things, but in the long run, life always proved her right.

My favorite one was, “Truck it, f *^% it!” when faced with an unsolvable dilemma. Once I asked her to explain the words to me. She said, “Load your worries on a truck and wave bye-bye.” Also, her motto in life was, this too shall pass, which now brings me comfort whether a problem is petty or big.

Then, there is the kind of advice that is contradictory. I came across it when I tried running, during my dinosaur time. A person who considered himself an athlete told me to slow down to make my running a worthwhile gain. I don’t believe he said it to catch up to me on the track, however. Anyone could catch up to me, even a baby, but I digress.

He told me the goal to running was to get my body to recognize the pace I’m going in so I wouldn’t burn all of my energy at the start of a run. I listened and slowed down for my running success. I lasted longer. What my body thought about this, I wouldn’t exactly know to its minutest detail, but I think the advice worked, because that guy himself used to run long distance. Yet, unfortunately for him, he didn’t tell me to keep up with my running craze through the years no matter what.

And because he didn’t tell me to stick with it, I didn’t. The shape I am in is his fault now. Of course, it is. He is my husband. He should have told me. I wouldn’t listen, but he should have told me.

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Prompt: Describe the wackiest but most useful advice you've ever received. This could be interesting!