WHAT DID WE LEARN THIS YEAR?

What did we learn this year, and from this year? Those who know a lot, humbly and admirably believe that they know nothing about life and there are so many things to learn about, understand, appreciate and discover. Those who know nothing still believe that they know everything. And I am quite happy with that. For, we need all kinds of people to fill this vain world of ours. And more pretentious, idiot and silly people I meet or learn about, happier in my humility, I become. For, either,  selfishly,  I do not need more competition, or wisely, I realize that "Plus ca change, plus ca reste la meme chose."

And what did I learn this year or from this year? Many things. And among those things: Nothing equals in life,  the goodness of the heart, unconditional love, unrestricted appreciation of others talents, infinite forgiveness, compassion and unlimited generosity toward everybody and especially toward those who cannot return the favor...and perhaps, just perhaps, a bright honest mind. Years ago, I wrote those lines (below) in my books "SECRET BOOK OF NATIONS", and "STORIES I NEVER TOLD", among others....

And as of today, they remain very  a propos. I love to share them with you. This is what I wrote some 20 years ago:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Painting: "Leave Your Suspicions Behind The Rain", oil on canvas, 1979, by the author.

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"For the STRONG, there are two kinds of truth. One for each occasion.  For the weak, there are all kinds of truth and each one eliminates the other..." from  "THE SECRET BOOK OF NATIONS".

“If you can’t see the light in the dark, don’t expect to see it in the early morning.”  from  “ Stories I never Told”.

“Two kinds of people usually don’t like you much; your boss if you are smarter than him, and your employee if they are smarter than you.” ... "Don’t tell anybody, I know what you are thinking, if you don’t know, and especially if you do.” Book “Don’t Tell How Much You Know”

"A very small umbrella makes you wet. A very big umbrella makes you sweat.”

“Those who did not live their life to its fullest, remain on the shore. Only those who believed in its rainbow could sail the high seas of  meaningful accomplishments  and freedom,” from  “Memories From Tomorrow” 1979.

“The generosity of your heart is your one way ticket to immortality.”

“Be always generous with and toward everybody and particularly with those who cannot return the favor.”

“The universe is made for all of us. There are plenty of rooms. Do not take two.”

“Fight loudly, give and forgive silently.”

“Don’t tell a lie if you have a bad memory.”

“You might conquer the world with your wealth and power but you will always depart alone. Only unconditional love makes others feel your presence, might, wealth and power wherever you go. And when you go, you will never depart alone.”

“Don’t stretch your feet longer than your bed if you have a hungry dog at home”

“Always ask a baker to cook your bread, even if he takes half of it.”

“He laughed for so long, he forgot what he was laughing about.”

“Lawyers should only be allowed to drive on a one-way street.”

“If a monkey is reading your map, don’t expect to arrive on time.”

“A woman holds the umbrella and the man holds the woman.”

“Count to ten, but please let me know what you are thinking about.”

“You can turn in circles only if you are the Earth we live on.”

“Guests who arrive late are always excused if their gifts arrived first.”

“You can hide the eggs in your rear pocket if you can manage to stand up all night long.”

“You want to know the occupants of a house, check first their back yard.”

“Don’t call a plumber if you haven’t paid the water bill.”

“Give me a happy family and I will give you a happy country.”

“Make your country a country of milk powder not gun powder.”

“The most beautiful sight to my eyes is the smile of the woman I love.”

“As my friend you will always enter my humble home from the front door and will leave from the back. But, if you change that, I will know you are no longer my friend.”

“All happy families are alike in their happiness. Only unhappy families are different in their sadness”

“In a race, you should always finish first, because only your wife and your dog will remember  you finished second.”

“Do not volunteer if you are not needed. It is just like a free advice; your friends don’t need it. Your enemies would not believe it.”

“It takes fifty chinchilla corpses to make one coat, and just one to wear it.”

“Once a wise man said: A penny saved is a penny earned. The truth I tell you: A penny well spent is two pennies earned.”

“Do not fully trust a man who has never lost a thing in his life.”

“Dry dock, empty ship.”

“Passion without substance is like a French onion soup. Very hot at the beginning, very cold short after.”

“In a competitive and materialistic society, you are not Who you are but, what people think You are.”

“Do not worry about what people might think of you. Worry if they begin to believe you do.”

“A day without charity is a lost day.”

“When you shake the hand of a gentleman, look in his eyes. When you shake the hand of a thief, look around.”

“Be yourself when you meet others. Be the others when you meet yourself.”

“When you are rich, everybody listens and few hear you. When you are poor, nobody listens and everybody hears you.”

“Watch your enemy once, your friends twice, and yourself all the time.”

“If you have fooled me three times, is because I let you fool me twice.”

“Don’t milk the cow if your bucket is not handy.”

“Count your sheep ten times a day, and once if you have a fence.”

“If you are rich, people think you know.”

“You cannot sell ice to the Eskimos, but you can always try.”

“Bald men don’t need a comb.”

“In a parade, always ride the white horse.”

“Those who arrive late to super will eat only crumbs.”

“Those who arrive late, always have a reason.”

“Those who arrive late, hear only yesterdays news.”

“Instead of feeding the hungry salmons and lobsters, teach them how to fish.”

“Go early to bed and get bored alone.”

“Two kinds of people I wonder about: Those who go to bed early and those who wake up late.”

“The world was not built in one day. How do you know that?”

“They told you everything that glitters is not gold. But, they didn’t tell you what it is!”

“They told you a bird in hand is better than two in the bush. The truth I tell you, three birds in the bush is the best of all, because you make the spring come earlier this year.”

“A man who has always dirty hands is bad…a man who has always clean hands is worse.”

“You know the man when he leaves not when he arrives.”

“Fear those who can see in the dark.”

“Trust yourself all the time, but doubt your greatness every time you can.”

“Every time you give, you grow one inch taller.”

“If you can walk on eggs, you can walk on nails.”

“A man who fears and dares is a brave man, a man who dares and does not fear is a fool.”

“Lower the fence of your vineyard, and the size of your bottles will shrink.”

“Wash your hands once before you eat your meal and twice after if you did not share it with others.”

“Be proud of yourself once, if you are a teacher, and twice if your student becomes one.”

“Ten more commandments and you have ten more priests.”

“The church next door always has the lower saint.”

“Don’t tell me why, show me how.”

“Bad employer, good check.  Good employer, bad check.”

“A house with only one door makes too much noise.”

“If French aristocrats knew how to make bread, they would have saved their heads.”

“I worry about those people who come to a new country with an old face.”

“If the top of your head is made out of butter, don’t walk in the sun.”

“If you cannot take the heat, don’t light a fire.”

“Nothing in life is more valuable than life itself, if others are a part of it.”

“Take once, give twice.”

“If you are great, they will hail you. If you are greater, they will trail you. If you are the greatest, they will nail you.”