I have compiled a list of quotes by famous and-not-so-famous people. One name that keeps repeating on this list is Albert Einstein, surely one of the brightest, and wittiest, humans who every lived. Three of his wise observations are below.
E = mc2 Einstein said, “If at first an idea is not absurd, then there’s no hope for it.” So there’s hope for me since a lot of my ideas are absurd. He also said, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” I’m not so sure that everybody is a genius, but I think that parents and grandparents should especially keep this in mind. And I am grateful now that I used to spend a lot of time climbing trees. Einstein’s 3rd quote that I really like is about travel. “I love to travel,” he said, “but hate to arrive.” I think I know what he may have meant by this.
Ruth and I call our first day in any new place our wheel-spinning day. This helps us to relax and enjoy a new place even though we accomplish little and see almost nothing on this day because, for us at least, there is a period of adjustment to any new environment. By the 2nd day we know our way around better and see more. By the 5th day we feel we know the place pretty well and usually hate to leave. This happened in Nome, Salta, and more recently in Cardiff, Penzance, and Ganges. Sometimes we extend our stay or, more likely, return. This is why we’ve been to Australia several times and look forward to returning to Bendigo, Melbourne, and Brisbane.
Another name that frequently turns up on my quote lists is Mark Twain who said, “Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” Wise!
Hank
