People who hear a remark or observe a behavior they consider inane or foolish often declare, “That person has too much free time on his hands.” People who say such things may think they are wiser than their targets. Maybe so.
I have an abundance of free time. I know about the importance of finding purpose in retirement, but my Senior Lifestyle accommodates large portions of free time.
So, during some of my free time, I have been thinking. What are the real connections between things? Are there no connections, even though we believe them and act upon them? For example, Step on a crack, break your mother’s back.
As a child, I believed fervently in this. I avoided cracks. Once while avoiding a fissure on the sidewalk, I stepped awkwardly, twisted my ankle, and fell flat on my face. I required twelve stitches. My mother’s back remained unbroken and functional, however, so maybe that connection is a true one?
Other connections that bear scrutiny?
What goes around comes around, a corruptive explanation for karma, and The chickens always come home to roost. The facts do not support these wise sayings.
In 2022, more than 50 percent of violent crimes reported to law enforcement went unsolved in 38 states. And in 6 states, over two-thirds of all violent crime went unsolved.
https://legalknowledgebase.com › what-percentage-of…accessed 27 September 2025
A problem may be that some of us live by or at least believe in wise sayings that suggest outcomes that simply are unconnected.
- Give them an inch and they will take a yard.
- _______ are simply lazy and untrustworthy.
- A penny saved is a penny earned. (Actually, if merely saved it loses value!)
Compounding the problem? Wise sayings have opposites.
He who hesitates is lost, but Look before you leap because even though Haste makes waste, you better Strike while the iron is hot.
My take on this? Proverbs, schmaverbs!
- A watched pot never boils. It will boil like crazy if you forget about it and answer the phone.
- Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Not according to some exes. Absence is just fine.
- If a bird in the hand has an accident, one is better off with two non-incontinent ones in the bush.
- Practice does not make perfect if one’s practice is foolish to begin with.
Readers may be thinking: Chuck, poster boy for too much time on one’s hands! Nevertheless, I would wager that anyone could look up a list of wise sayings and respond with a yes but for many of them.
To get started, try a yes but with these:
I will give you a tutorial on the first one.
The teach a man to fish proverb. Yes, but in so doing you will ruin sea food stores and put fish restaurants out of business. Jobs lost; taxes uncollected. Teach him math, computer skills, or something really useful.
- No pain, no gain.
- Money cannot buy happiness.
- Events are neutral (It is our cognitive process that supplies meaning.)
- Communication is the key.
Have fun with these and the ones you discover.
The picture that accompanies this essay, taken by Eddie my Zumba teacher at Health Directions, shows me avoiding a crack. My dear mother is in heaven with back intact.
