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As the grandson of Irish immigrants I loved listening to my grandfather offer up his words of wisdom.
Grandpa spoke in a deep Irish brogue with delightful, strange inflections. His sentences always ended on a higher note than they began. But what I loved most was the illustrative way he used words to make a point. He would recite an Irish proverb as a kind of guidance lesson to us young ones.
Thought Candles
One summer while we were visiting my grandparents in Soap Lake, Washington, Dad was in the lake when he inadvertently swam into the dock.
When he returned to the picnic area rubbing his very bald head, Grandpa smiled and said, “Remember, Jack, experience is the comb life gives a bald man.“
Ireland is a country with a strong tradition of storytelling.
For centuries before pen, paper and literacy, storytelling was the primary form of entertainment.
The Seanchaís, or storytellers, were roaming bards charged with being custodians of history, wisdom and culture.
“Is maith an scéalaí an aimsir.” “Time is a great storyteller.”
The deep Irish belief is that all stories unfold — and sometimes, truth itself is revealed through the patient passing of time.
It’s also a quiet nod to the power of both storytelling and the storyteller.
The power of — Thought Candles.
The storytellers traveled from village to village reciting from memory ancient lore in a language local villagers could understand.
They could keep a village in rapture for weeks before moving on to their next sojourn.
They invented a whole lexicon of phrases, sayings, and proverbs pertinent for any occasion.
There are such storytellers in modern times, too.
Most Irish communities will have someone who plays the role of Seanchaí. I likened my friend, the late Tucker McHugh, as a modern day Seanchai.
My friends Brendan Boyle and Kieran O’Mahony continue to play this role for me today.
They are Thought Candles because they always have the ring of truth.
An empty sack does not stand. — Lying and dishonesty get you nowhere.
When the apple is ripe, it will fall. — What will be will be.
Even black hens lay white eggs. — Seemingly bad people can still do good deeds.
Hindsight is the best insight to foresight. — Learn from your past mistakes to avoid making new ones.
Every man is sociable until a cow invades his garden. — Everybody has their off days!
Hunger is a good sauce. — Hunger makes any food taste good.
Complain that you have no shoes until you meet a man who has no feet. — Be thankful for what you have because there will always be someone in a worse situation than you.
A good word never broke a tooth. — Kindness is always returned.
It’s as easy to catch a cold in a King’s castle as in a shepherd’s hut. — Everyone is human; wealth is no measure of health.
It’s better to pay the butcher than the doctor. — Paying good money for good food is better than eating bad food and having poor health as a result.
A lamb’s bleat is often more telling than a dog’s bark. — Sometimes being subtle works better than being loud and forthright.
When the drop is inside the sense is outside. — Alcohol leads to senseless activities!
If you are looking for a friend without a fault you will be without a friend forever. – Nobody’s perfect!
It’s a lonely washing that has no man’s shirt in it. — Everybody needs someone to love (and wash clothes for).
It’s not a delay to stop and sharpen the scythe. — Take every opportunity to learn.
No matter how many rooms you have in your house, you’re only able to sleep in one bed. — it doesn’t matter how many possessions you have, we all have the same needs in life.
It’s a long road that has no turning. — Always doing the same thing is neither beneficial nor entertaining.
Many a ship is lost within sight of the harbor. — Don’t let your guard down no matter how safe you think things may be.
Life is like a cup of tea; it’s all in how you make it. — How you live your life is a result of what you do in it.
And my personal favorite:
Just a thought…
Pat