Is it true what they’re saying?

Clayton Hayes is a lifelong resident of Dyer County.

Remember some of those adages we heard as we grew toward adulthood? Those words of wisdom are sometimes funny, and some make no sense.

From my mother’s mouth to me as a young kid, “Stop your back talking, or I’ll knock you into next week!”

I always wanted to find out exactly how it would have felt to be knocked into next week. But I never pushed the envelope that far with my mother.

Now, that would have been one hard lick—probably harder than a Dallas Cowboy quarterback getting hit by a 350-pound charging left tackle.

History tells me that adages are pithy sayings that sum up a particular subject or situation. They are generally short, memorable sayings based on an important fact or experience considered true by some people.

What about adages that make most of us stop and think a little?

Remember the difference between fiction and reality? Fiction only has to make sense.

That certainly describes governmental actions in Washington these days. One of Albert Einstein’s adages fits here well as he said, “The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits.”

And don’t forget that famous Harry Truman adage, “If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.”

Then there is the adage for those always looking over their shoulder to see who may be watching them. Someone said, “Just because you’re not paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you.”

I saw on TV the reaction from a Wall Street guru when a television financial reporter said, “Economists are good at predicting recessions. They’ve predicted eight of the last three.”

Napoleon Bonaparte yelled on the battlefield, “Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.” That came back to haunt him for sure at the Battle of Waterloo.

I keep listening for Dr. Phil to say, “If at first you don’t succeed, blame someone else and seek counseling.”

One that never made any sense at all to me was when my mother would stare at me with fire in her eyes and bellow out, “Why are you crying, Clayton? Stop crying, or I’ll give you something to cry about.” But, it was always enough to make me stop crying.

People on the cutting edge of technology can relate to their forefathers with the adage, “You can always recognize the pioneers by the arrows in their backs,” which comes into their view.

One all of us can yell at the loud-mouth politicians today is, “What you do speaks so loud that I can’t hear what you say.”

Okay, all you guys out there, listen up to this one. “Honesty is the key to a relationship. If you can fake that, you’re in,” This probably was lived out by President Clinton at one time.

Lately, I’ve noticed more people living by the old adage, “Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow?” I guess some believe they might not be here tomorrow and would have wasted a lot of effort if they had gone ahead and completed the required task at hand. This sounds like the motto of many of our politicians.

General Stonewall Jackson uttered one full of truth and promise: “My religious beliefs teach me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed a time for my death. I do not concern myself with that. But I always need to be ready whenever it takes me a while. That is how all men should live, and all men would be equally brave.”

Then we have one most of us can relate to, “Wisdom is the result of experience, and experience is most often the result of stupidity.”

Those with a huge ego problem should remember, “The more you lose yourself in something bigger than yourself, the more energy you will have.”

Stock market investors should follow the adage of Warren Buffet, who said, “I don’t look to jump over seven-foot bars. I look around for one-foot bars I can step over.”

How many remember the “Woodenisms” of legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden? Some of his most famous are:

“The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team.”

“Young people today need models, not critics.”

“Learn as if you were to live forever. Live as if you were to die tomorrow.”

“The true athlete should have character, not be a character.”

My favorite of all time is the one from New York Yankees catcher Yogi Berra, who said, “When you come to the fork in the road, take it.