Sometimes, you get what you need.

Father's Day.

My daddy was always full of advice.  Not much of it was serious, but he had a way of talking that left people wondering if he was being serious.  I've been thinking about him and his advice today.  He would smile to know that years after he left us I was still mulling over how much of what he said ended up being wise.  Here are some nuggets of truth from W. J. (and translations, if necessary).

"Don't take any wooden nickels."  -- Don't suffer fools gladly.

"A whistlin' woman and a crowin' hen ain't no good to anyone."  --Still trying to figure this one out.  I think my whistling stage during childhood must have wearied him.

"Don't let your gas tank get under a quarter of a tank."  --  (Whatever, Daddy...still not heeding that word.)

"A little "girls of the night" water cures anything."  -- Don't even ask...it involves a spring in the hills of Cannon County that he swore had a special anointing because of the ladies living on the property.  I never drank it as it was usually teeming with tadpoles.

"Don't trust anyone who can't look you in the eyes."  Well said.

 Early on as a father during the most trying of the toddler years for Flannery and Percy-Kate, Andy tried impressing upon them a great truth.  His advice to our 2 and 3 year old daughters?  "You can't always get what you want, but if you try, sometimes you might find you get what you need."  They would think on this sage advice for about 15 seconds before discontentment would overtake them yet again.  A couple of years after Andy had given up on instilling this wisdom in our babies, they heard his words being sung on the radio.  "Daddy!  Listen to what they are singing!"  I wonder if Mick Jagger every sang those words to his own kids.

If Daddy had listened to rock music, he would have used that line on me at some point I'm sure.