Father's Day 2018

Everything I need to know to succeed in life, I learned from a man I called Daddy (and who hundreds of "shop" students called Mr. Ashby). That doesn't mean I learned them at the time he taught them. Many things have only become real to me later in life.

The most important thing I learned is to "use the right tool for the job". I only realized in my 40's that this applied to mental tools and maxims, too. That was when I had my "Aha" moment that all those Daddy-isms that seemed to contradict each other were never intended to be applied across the board. That moment was when I learned another lesson best expressed in this quote from Picasso: "Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist."

Here are some of those seemingly contradicting Daddy-isms that I learned that make so much sense to me now. Now that I understand - it's not enough to have a tool box full of tools. One graduates from journeyman to master when one knows which tool to use.

From the best teacher I ever knew...

• Great minds think alike.

• A wise man changes his mind; a fool never does.

• If you want it done right, do it yourself.

• Anything less than your best is failure.

• Good enough for government work.

• Good enough for the girl I go with.

• Measure twice, cut once.

• Study long, study wrong.

• I was looking for a job when I found this one.

• If it is to be, it is up to me. (10 2-letter words to change the world.)

• You can get a lot more done if you don't stress about who gets the credit.

• My right to swing my fist ends at your nose.

• I may not like what you say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it.

• Well…a deep thought for a shallow mind.

• Your ignorance is showing.

• Never try to kiss a girl leaning away from you. Never try to climb a ladder leaning toward you. Don't spit in the wind. Always watch channel 5 News and Weather.

• Good fences make good neighbors.