an old farmer's advice

received these words of wisdom this morning from a friend and mentor in response to the site. fit to be shared, for sure.

an old farmer's advice

-your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.
-keep skunks and bankers at a distance.
-life is simpler when you plow around the stump.
-a bumble bee is considerably faster than a john deere tractor.
-words that soak into your ears are whispered...not yelled.
-meanness don't jes' happen overnight.
-forgive your enemies. it messes up their heads.
-do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.
-it don't take a very big person to carry a grudge.
-you cannot unsay a cruel word.
-every path has a few puddles.
-when you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.
-the best sermons are lived, not preached.
-most of the stuff people worry about ain't never gonna happen anyway.
-don't judge folks by their relatives.
-remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
-live a good, honorable life. then when you get older and think back, you'll enjoy it a second time.
-don't interfere with somethin' that ain't bothering you none.
-timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.
-if you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin '.
-sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.
-the biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with, watches you from the mirror every mornin'.
-always drink upstream from the herd.
-good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.
-lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin' it back in.
-if you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around.
-live simply. love generously. care deeply.
-speak kindly. leave the rest to god.

--

and,

-don't pick a fight with an old man. if he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you.