AS A RULE Bits & Pieces, June 22, 1995, p. 5

As a rule, Man’s a fool
When it’s hot, He wants it cool.
And when it’s cool, He wants it hot,
Always wanting What is not.

YOU’VE JUST DESCRIBED LIFE Patsy Clairmont, "Bus Stop," God Uses Cracked Pots, Focus on the Family, 1991.

Jason, our youngest, has two goals in life. One is to have fun, and the other is to rest. He does both quite well. So I shouldn’t have been surprised by what happened when I sent him to school one fall day.
As Jason headed off for the bus, I immediately busied myself, preparing for a full day. The knock on the door was a surprise and disruptive to my morning rhythm, which is not something I have a lot of. I flew to the door, jerked it open, only to find myself looking at Jason.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded.
"I’ve quit school," He boldly announced.
"Quit school?" I repeated in disbelief and at a decibel too high for human ears.

Swallowing once, I tried to remember some motherly psychology. But all that came to my mind was "A stitch in time saves nine" and "Starve a fever, feed a cold," or something like that. Somehow they didn’t seem to apply to a six-year-old drop-out dilemma. So I questioned, "Why have you quit school?"
Without hesitation he proclaimed, "It’s too long, it’s too hard, and it’s too boring!"
"Jason," I instantly retorted, "you have just described life. Get on the bus!"

HANDYMAN r.digest October 1974

I am an amateur handyman, and it is difficult for me to keep out of things when I am forced to call an expert. A few months ago, I called a plumber to locate a leak in the upstairs shower. While he was out looking for the source of the problem, I followed along with helpful advice. He put up with this for a while, but finally lost his patience. He turned, looked me in the eye and said, "Mister, there ain't no use buying a dog if you're going to do your own barking.

COMPLAINERS DO MORE r.digest December 1974

A four year study at the University of Michigan's Institute of Social Research shows that the worker who whistles and sings as he goes about his job never produces as much as the worker who gripes. It's the fellow who complains the loudest about his job, his company, and his boss who turns out the most work.

"THAT'S NOT TRUE" r. digest November 1974

One evening while the family dinner conversations were going full blast, it seemed as if no one could agree about anything. My mother called this to our attention by shouting, "Nobody can agree with anyone tonight!" This was followed by a few moments of guilty silence which were interrupted by a quiet, "That's not true."

QUOTE: Sydney J. Harris: When I hear somebody sigh, "Life is hard," I am always tempted to ask, "Compared to what?"