My father leans on aphorisms to express opinions. 

We were at the beach this week when one of the kids lamented that one of their goals was going to require hard work. 

Dad piped up: ”You can’t learn to swim without getting your head wet.”

It was such a great line, a wonderful way to make a point that was direct while not seeming too harsh. 

Once I heard that phrase I started noticing a slew of other aphorisms or sayings he used. Here are some highlights:

”If you play with the bull, you get the horns.”

”You can’t soar with the eagles, if you’re up hooting with the owls.”

”If you can’t find something, it’s usually where you left it.”

”Never get separated from your skis.”

“People pay more attention to you when you have a cane.”

I love how those phrases are both memorable and economical.

They say so much with so little.

I don’t know if the Greatest Generation used more aphorisms than we do today.

I think it’s fair to assume they didn’t talk about themselves as much as we do, at least not in a self referential way. Obviously, there was no social media. 

I have a friend whose father passed recently at 92. 

He said that his dad “lived his life largely without commenting on it.”

I love that line. 

It seems harder to imagine today.