Be Like Ben (Franklin, of course)
An older and wiser man writing his autobiography, Dr. Benjamin Franklin gave to the world his prescription for achieving "the bold and arduous task of moral perfection": list 13 virtues you wish to master, work on only one per week (like eradicating weeds from one flower bed at a time, he said), each evening examine your day to see if you had committed any actions contrary to that virtue (keep a record in a lined notebook), proceed to the next virtue the next week, and continue this process for a year (you'll be able to go through four cycles in 52 weeks). Sounds simple enough, right?
As a young man hiding behind the nom de plume of Poor Richard Saunders, Franklin's words of wisdom often took the shape of clever, pithily worded aphorisms like "God helps them that help themselves; a penny saved is a penny earned; fish and visitors smell in three days; an apple a day keeps the doctor away, etc."
Your journal assignment gives you some options. You may (choose one of the three):
A. Tell me a personal or family tale that represents one of Franklin's virtues.
B. Tell me a personal or family tale that represents the theme of one of Franklin's aphorisms. Write that aphorism as part of your title. Check out the "talking Ben" by clicking here.
C. Relate in detail some orderly plan that you contrived in order to achieve some goal.
Let's get to work on this pronto. As Ben would have said, "Do not squander time, for that's the stuff life is made of."
posted by JTF @ 9:30 PM
52 comments
52 Comments:
Another good example . . .
I chose option B. “Speak little, do much” is one of Franklin’s aphorisms, which I feel I have been taught by my Dad and learned through personal experience. While I was growing up my Dad coached me in baseball. He was a great baseball player so he had lots to teach my teammates and me. He never would allow boasting or bragging on the field or off. He always told me to prove myself on the field because talk is cheap. Players who talk about how good they are and boast about winning aren’t always able to back it up. I remember playing for the District Championship when I was 12 years old. The team we were playing was from Downingtown and very confident coming into the game. The week before the game they were bragging about how good they were, and how they were going to beat us. They came to the game cheering and with balloons expecting to be the champions, and beat our team easily. We were the underdogs coming into the game because we had to beat them twice. All week our team didn’t talk about winning, but practiced hard. We were humble and proved our talent on the field. We were victorious in both games and advance to the State Tournament. This aphorism has taught me how important it is to be humble about your talents because I you are good at something you will prove yourself when it really matters.
He was so learned, that he could name a horse in nine Languages. So ignorant, that he bought a cow to ride on.
This aphorism's is basicly saying that it is possible for one to be very smart and still have no common sense. This saying reminds me of a visit to my grandfather's house one weekend. A common tradition there is for the extended family to play a game of Scrabble. It's really just for fun, but everyone plays their best. So when my cousin Errol, who is a few years younger than myself, beat the entire family, it was quite a surprise, especially since Errol gives the usual impression of being a little slow. He was rather proud of this achievement, and bragged about his use of big words to all those who had lost. Later, however, while returning after a walk back to my grandfather's house, Errol decided to bolt across South Eagle Road, arguably the busiest street in town, without looking in either direction (it should also be noted that he was jaywalking). Within a second after leaping off the curb, Errol was face-to-face with a sedan. Every heart within a 50-foot radius missed a beat. Luckily, the highly alert driver of the car was able to slam on the brakes just in time, sparing injury to Errol and automobile. Later, back at the house, while Errol received a powerful lecture from his mother, the rest of us mused at how the family Scrabble champion can't even cross the street.
“When the well is dry, we know the worth of the well.”
This is aphorism is one that I feel everyone can relate to. It is basically saying that you do not realize how much something means to you until its gone. Your appreciation for something increases when it is not around as much. Also you can take from it that absence makes the heart grow fonder, or even people want what the can’t have. I have learned this lesson many times throughout my life. However, I don’t think anyone fully understands it because there is always at least one thing you take for granted. I am going to write about a recent experience that has taught me a lesson in appreciation. Before attending St. Mark’s High School, I was a student at St. Paul’s School. St. Paul’s is a very small school. There are only two hundred students in the entire school. There are ten grades, pre- kindergarten through eighth grade. St. Paul’s was the only school I had ever attended. Being that the school was so small, just about everyone knew each other and there were a lot of close relationships. While attending there I formed many friendships, with students and teachers. I met my best friends there and because we don’t live near each other, school was our main time to socialize together. I got to see my friends everyday and the people at St. Paul’s became like my second family. Only I didn’t realized it until my freshman year at St. Mark’s. Going into freshman my year knew it would be a huge change. I was going from 15 students in my graduating class to a school with four hundred freshmen. However, I didn’t realize how disconnected to my “second family” I would be. I can not drive so I saw less and less of my friends. I still kept in touch with then through email and telephone but it was not the same as the face to face connection. I came to appreciate every single time I saw my friends because it was so rare compared to seeing them almost everyday. I also came to appreciate how beneficial a small school can be to a person who wants to have close personal relationships with everyone at there school. I enjoy being in a big school also because there are more opportunities but it has really taught me that I should have appreciated my old school more. I should have cherish the times I had while attending St. Paul’s but I can never go back and relive those years. Now I am left sadly with only the memories. Yet Kam appreciating St. Mark’s at the same.
Little strokes,
Fell great oaks
I guess the translation of this quote is that all the little things add up together to produce a great success. I can relate this story to a wrestling match. It was my first year wrestling and the varsity spot was open due to a sick senior. The wrestling team was going to a tournament called the Virginia Duals. A Dual match is a match in which every wrestler in each wieght class wrestles and wins or loses. If the wrestler wins, he earns a certain number of points for their team's total score. Anyway, I went to the Virginia duals and wrestled my first match. I went on the mat thinking I could beat this varsity wrestler. I was wrong. All the while, over in the corner of the mat, my coach kept yelling "Stand up"! If stood up I would have earned one point for my match score (not team score). Unfortunately I didn't stand up and I lost my match with the ending score of 15-0. If I would have stood up, the other team would have had one less team point. So all those stand-up points could have added up. We ended up winning that dual match due to all of our winning matchs adding up. We fell the great oak.
“When the well’s dry, we know the worth of water.”
I chose option B, to write about one of Ben’s aphorisms. The aphorism I chose is “When the well’s dry, we know the worth of water.” The meaning of this aphorism is you really don’t know what you have until it’s gone. I have experienced a time in my life that I think this aphorism describes. In 7th grade my Poppop was diagnosed with cancer. Usually at that age kids think that your grandparents are only there to embarrass you and to spoil you Saturday night when you have to do something with them. I realized that those types of things like going to dinner, playing in the backyard and playing video games with my Poppop wasn’t just stupid little things any more, they became memories. When he died I regretted not appreciating all the things we did together and if I could go back I know for a fact that I would want to spend all the time with him that I could. I miss having him there to talk to and put a smile on my face with his jokes and stories. I think I really didn’t know what I had until I was without it. I was so use to my Poppop always being there and not realizing that in one day that could all change. I think I learned to appreciate what I have because of this experience. Now I try to remember this aphorism so that when I begin to forget or not take notice and not appreciate what I have I’ll be able to change my mistake and be thankful for what I have. I didn’t realize what a great relationship I had with my Poppop and how much I needed it, until I had lost it.
"The worst wheel of a cart makes the most noise." Says Ben Franklin, one of the greatest men ever to walk the earth, this aphorism relates closely to my family in some ways. For a cart to work normally, all its parts must work in accordance. That means the wheels must roll. Now, if a wheel were to fall off, or make alot of noise, it would have to be fixed. This past summer, I went on a mission trip to Tailorsville North Carolina. On the way down, our prverbial cart had some issues. We were about two hours into our ten hour car ride when the van i was riding in started to shake violently. Mr. Hoops, the driver of the van thought it was the road, so he moved into another lane. This didn't change the shaking so more investigations were needed. As our four vehicle caravan pulled to the side of the road i was feeling callow as a result of the eight hours of car riding i was about to endure. Luckily one of the shaperones knew everything about everything and was able to fix the problem. If that one little tire couldn't be fixed, or changed, it might have ruined our entire trip. But since it didn't, we had a great five day experience.
"Those who are feared are hated"
This aphorism is one that I feel relates to me well. It goes back to the time when I was about ten years old. I was at my cousin Matt's house when he and a friend were telling me about their football team. They both grummbled about how their football coach and how everyone on the team hated him because of the way he yelled when he didn't know anything about how to coach. When I heard the story I thought it was just because of the fact that they might have gotten yelled at once or twice but really they feared him and most of the team did. As the season continued they had no sucess because everyone hated going to pratice my cousin told me. At the end of the season he told me that the coach was fired because it was his fifth year with another losing season. After the fact I thought about it and I realized that maybe their coach wasn't bad, maybe they just feared him which summoned their reasons of hate. All I know is that since that day I always try to understand thoe types of situations more and more.
"Tis easy to see, hard to foresee."
This aphorism means that to mean to not judge so easily. I remember plenty if times when I’ve over estimated a team before a game or thought a test was easy and received a failing grade. One memory in particular is during my AAU basketball season. We were playing a national qualifying team and I was certain we would lose. Of course this never any way to enter a game, always stay positive. As soon of the game began we took a sudden lead and felt silly that we thought we would get beat. That day we had back-to-back games. Again with the second team we anticipated the outcome. This time though we thought we would win. Instead we got beat by a lot. I like this aphorism a lot because it is a synonym of don’t judge a book by its cover. Which is a very important lesson to learn.
“When the well’s dry, we know the worth of water.”
This aphorism really describes my life. It means that people do not appreciate what they have until it is not there anymore. This is something that I have noticed that I do a lot. For example, I won't even remember having a certain shirt hanging up in my closet, but the second my sister wants to borrow it I do. All of a sudden I want to wear the shirt, and i will do anything I can so she does not wear it, and of course it ends with a hugr fight. Another part of my life that this applies to is everything my parents do for me, especially my mom. She always does so much for me, but in return I don't even say thank you, and I give her an attitude she doesn't deserve, but when she's not home or can't help me out I realize how much I really appreciate her help.
"When the well's dry, we know the worth of water."
You don't know how much you love your pet until it is gone. I can relate this tragedy to Franklin's aphorism. Several years ago, a new member came to our family: a cute little parrot named Skye. With encouragement, Skye became friends with all the people in my family. As time passed, we had gotten used to him in our lives. Usual routines went on day after day, and I had gotten a little bored with him as a child might get bored with a toy after some time. I still made sure he was healthy and took good care of him. Over the summer I went to Europe and left my dad in charge of Skye. One day when he was flying about the house (he was allowed to do that), my dad forgot he was out of his cage and left the patio door open. Anyone can guess what happened then. My dad ran after him trying to coax him to fly down from a roof and onto his shoulder. Skye just flew into the nearby woods and was gone. I received the news over the phone a week later, after my dad had put "lost bird" signs all over the neighborhood. I couldn't believe it. I was so shocked I spent the next two days in depression. I was also surprised at how sad I was and realized how much I had loved that little parrot. I never knew how much I loved Skye until he was gone.
For the “be like Ben BLOG” I chose option B. The aphorism I chose was “He that lieth down with Dogs, shall rise up with fleas.” This aphorism relates directly to an experience that my sister went through. My sister, Christina, is twenty-four years old. She has had a rough life; she always seemed to hang around the wrong crowd. This wrong crowd is in direct relation with the “Dogs” in Ben’s aphorism. Christina was always getting into fights and had to transfer schools. She, however, was not a bad student, in fact she got quite good grades. Christina transferred from St. Mark’s high school because she had to many demerits and she missed to many days of school. Christina was now forced to go to Elkton high school, one of the worst schools in Maryland. Once she arrived at Elkton she got into drugs and alcohol. This is when she “lies down with the dogs.” When she finally realized she was throwing her life down the drain, it was too late, she had already obtained “fleas.” Christina then started cleaning up her life. She began incorporating her life with AA, alcoholics anonymous, and NA, narcotics anonymous. Christina went to college at Delaware Technical Community College and has a well paying job. Christina laid down with the dogs and attained fleas; however, she was lucky enough to find a cure for them.
Franklin's "early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise" amorphism is one that i can personally relate to. Every night I try to go to bed early, but with all the homework I have to do, I never actually go until around 11. I want to get to bed early so I can have an easier time waking up and feel better in the morning, but it never really happens. Last night, I had to go from practice to dinner to chorus rehersal, and had no time for homework in the middle of all that. I never got home until 9. By then, I was exhausted, and I still needed to shower, do homework, and do many other things. There just simply aren't enough hours in a day. But I might be able to go to bed earlier if I plan my time for homework and activities. If I don't, I'll end up tired and weary and forget much of what I was learning the day before. So plan your time, go to bed early, and you'l be able to live each day to its fullest, and you'll be wiser (it'll also improve you grades and people would want to be around you more).
"Be civil to all; sociable to many; familiar with few; friend to one; enemy to none."
I really think that this is the plan that I will follow in life, it is a very well put and it is also a very good idea. "be civil to all" is the most important part, because whether or not you know someone you should treat them with respect. "Be sociable to many," I agree with this because, though you should be nice to everyone, there are too many people to know everyone personally. "Familiar with few" know a few very well. "Friend to one" the only part I do not agree with, I think that you should be friend to at least a few. "enemy to none" you should never do anything to make people dislike you. I plan to follow this through my life, and so far I have followed it.
Little strokes,
Fell great oaks.
Even though this is one of Ben Franklin’s shorter aphorisms everyone at one time or another has come into contact with this saying. The aphorism is stating that with small steps and taking your time, you can accomplish great things. I can remember way back when I was little and had just started to play softball for my local little league, and how difficult it was for me to learn how to play the game. I was very frustrated and went to my dad for advice. When I told him that I wanted to quit playing because it was too hard, he told me something I will never forget. He said, “No matter how hard you try, you will never be able to learn something the first time you are taught. So you will have to take baby steps and learn things slowly, until you can master the task you have in front of you.” So I took this to heart and tried my hardest, practicing everyday until I finally achieved my goal of becoming a great softball player. This is my story of how you can “take little strokes” and in the end chop down a big tree or in my case task, that you have in front of you.
“When the well’s dry, we know the worth of water.”
i feel that i can relate most to this aphorism. I always take things for granted and i don't realize how much i depended on that thing until it is gone. I think that Ben Franklin was trying to say that you don't know what you have until it is gone. This can be a good thing. Once that object is gone, then I realize it's true value and worth and then I can grow to appreciate it. An example of this would be when i get grounded. I usually get something taken away from me like the computer or my cell phone. At first I don't think this is such a big deal, but then i realize how much i want to talk to my friends or check my e-mail. The point is that the smallest or the largest thing can be taken for granted if one doesn't realize how lucky they are to have what they do. This aphorism has taught me to be thankful for what I have and to know that i am lucky to have them.
“What you seem to be, be really”
Even though this quote is short, it has a lot of meaning. I believe that you should be what you really are and not be fake. If you are not being yourself, you could loose your identity, friends, reputation, and basically who you really are. I have a good example of that when my friend became friends with a group of these other people. They were nice to her but she started to act more like them. I saw that she wasn’t comfortable at first and didn’t really fit in. Then she started to change and she started to act, talk, and dress like them. I felt like I was loosing a friend because she was a totally different person. I could also tell that she was starting to loose herself and her true personality. Because of this, we almost lost our friendship. However, I was able to talk to her and tell her the person that she was becoming. I was worried about her because I knew that the way she was acting wasn’t right. I needed to persuade to her that she needed to be herself and act normal. Finally, I was able to make her come to her senses and be herself. We both learned that it is important to be who you truly are and not to be something else.
Eat to Live, and not live to eat
For the Be Like Ben blog entry i chose to do option B. This quoted means the most for the U.S. Most citizens in the U.S. eat as much as they can and they waste food. If you look at statistics they state that there is an increase in obesity and childhood obesity. Which is also caused by fast food and the amount of food consumption of Americans are all factors of obesity. we should donate food to the poor or an outreach program that gives food to the poor and homeless people. Because Americans have too much and give to little. The aphorism eat to live, and not live to eat means we should eat what we need and not eat more than we have to. So that is how we should be like Ben.
“When the well’s dry, we know the worth of water.”
This ingenious aphorism really means a lot to me. I noticed a lot of people chose this popular phrase, but that did not prevent me from choosing it. Basically, Franklin was trying to express his belief that when you have something, you do not notice how important it is to you until it is gone. Just about a year and a half ago, my dad got a job offer from the most prestigious airplane, Singapore Airlines. He was working for US Airways as captain piloting planes. After 9/11 the airline business had gone downhill, and the wage cuts were very demeaning. People became unmotivated, so to get job offer from a prosperous motivated company was really just splendid. Our whole family was actually doing to move to Singapore to my sister , but my grandparents became il and it was too much work to uproot the whole family. So my father moved to Singapore alone. So for the past year or so, we have gotten to see my dad once or twice times a month. It has been hard to not see his enormous smile everyday. I think people, especially teenagers, take their parents for granted. They see them as "fun-ruiners" and "work-enforcers." I have come to the realization that my parents are extremely important to me and without them, my life is just not the same way. Now that my father is gone, I realize how much I miss those silly jokes he would crack that are only funny to him. I miss his big heart. I miss him. So to me, Franklin's poem means to cherish every moment, and appreciate everything as if you could lose it the next day.
My choice was b. I used the aphorism “Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn in no other.”
This means that you can learn through experience, but you don’t need to, but some only learn through making mistakes and bad experience. There was a trip that I went on with some friends and their parents. It was late fall, but I didn’t realize that it was getting so cold in New York (state not the city). I decided to pack shorts and short sleeved shirts. Then towards the end of my trip we decided to go to this one hill to look at an airplane museum, and it was really windy up there. Needless to say I was starting to wish that I had brought some pants and long sleeved shirts. Once we left and got in the car I was freezing (it was getting close to night and was both dark and cold). After that trip I have never forgot to pack warm clothes when I go on a trip in the fall.
Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.
My father took Ben Franklin’s aphorism “early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise” and changed it to be “early to bed and early to rise, makes Paul Geonnotti healthy, wealthy, and wise”. Throughout my entire life, I have heard my father repeat this expression when urging me to finish up for the night and get to bed. When my father was young, he started living this aphorism. Now, it is a part of who he is. As a child, my father would always go to bed earlier than his brothers and sister. They would tease him about going to bed so early, but it did not bother my dad at all. He would wake up early every morning and go to his ice hockey practice. After his practice, he delivered the morning paper for his paper route. By the time his siblings were just getting up for the day, my father would have had a good workout and made money on his paper route! As he grew older, my father kept living this aphorism. My father is teased in our family for always falling asleep at night while we’re watching a movie or television together, but he is always the first one up in the morning. Before anyone else is awake, my dad has read the newspaper and is off washing the cars or running errands. Seeing how well this has worked for my father inspires me to try to do the same thing. I’m not as good at it as he is, but I do try to get up early so that one day I might be as successful as my dad.
"Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead." I believe this statement to be very true to an extent. Most people you tell a secret won't keep it; unless it is a family member or a close friend. Not everyone will keep the secret things you tell them a secret. Regretably, this has happened to me many times. It seems that no matter who i told, or what i told them it always seemed to get around. People ahve told personal things, things about school, and even things about my past. The reason people tell secrets is because they trust that person and expect that person to honor that trust. I still do not know why people choose to expose the secrets to other people, and i do not think i will ever understand why.
"A penny saved is a penny earned."
In my family we are very conscious of saving money. My parents are always looking for sale or a bargain. I believe that you save a little bit on everything that it will add up one day and you will have a good chunk of money you can play with. we also have a jar in our kitchen and when ever we walk in with spare change in our pockets we want to get rid of we through it in the jar. My mom then takes it to the "coin star" to get cash for the change. Qs well as the jar, my parents have a credit card that when you make a purchase it takes a minuscule perfect of and puts it in your bank account. If Ben was alive in this day and age i believe he would own this credit card because it truly represents his aphorism, a penny saved is a penny earned.
“When the well's dry, we know the worth of water.”
This is one of my favorite aphorisms of Ben Franklin because it makes a lot of sense to me and it is easy to understand. It means that you don’t know how much you use and need something until it’s gone. There are a couple stories where this aphorism can play a big part. One story was when I was in school last year and I had my phone out during class. The teacher saw it and took it away from me. He said he would give it back to me the next morning without a demerit, so I said sure, not realizing that I needed it to get a ride home from school and to contact other people about things. That afternoon I become conscious of how much I use my phone and appreciated it a lot more. Another story that used this aphorism was when my uncle died last year. I saw him a good amount and had a pretty good relationship with him. When he passed away it did not hit me for awhile. In my mind I knew I was not going to see him again, but I kept picturing me seeing him again because I had not experienced the death of a family member up to that point in my life. After a while it began to hit me at different family parties for holidays. I didn’t recognize how much you can miss someone after they are gone.
"Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, wise." This is my favorite aphorism the Ben Franklin ever wrote because it's very true and I can relate to it a lot. On school days, I can tell a huge difference from when I go to bed early the day before, from when I go to bed really late. When I go to bed early, I don't have any trouble waking up. I hop right out of bed and have no trouble remembering things. Also, the work I do that day during school is usually A material. When I go to bed late the day before, I sometimes having trouble getting up. If I don't get up right away, it'll make me late and I'll have to rush so I don't miss my bus. This can really mess up my whole day. When I don't get enough sleep, my performance in school goes down a lot too. I sometimes forget what I studied the night before and I fine myself falling asleep during a lecture in the middle of class. So, getting to bed earlier can really help my schoolwork, but it has been proven that getting enough sleep is also healthier.
"When the well is dry, we know the worth of the water."
This is by far my favorite aphorism stated by Benjamin Franklin. Its meaning simply states that you never really know what you have until it's gone. A great part of my life relates to this story. My great grandmother was the greatest person I have ever known. She was always there for anyone that needed her. She was also always making me cookies and giving me unlimited advice. Every wednesday after school, we would pay her a visit. We would stay for a decent amount of time and talk about how everybody was doing and what was going on in life. We were very rare to ever miss a visit. After a while, we started forgetting to go or had other things come up that needed to be attended to. My grandmother never said a single thing bad about it but I knew inside that she missed us. After a while, she was losing her memory at an accelerated pace and was uncapable of keeping her house. She was put in a retirement village where we would visit her, but only on occasion. About five years ago, she passed away in a hospital bed surrounded by everyone but me and my dad. At the time, I hated going to visit her because there was nothing for me to do and i thought it to be boring. Now that she's gone, I would give anything to visit with her again. She became my dried well.
“Hide not your talents, they for use were made. What’s a sun-dial in the shade?
I chose to write about option B. for this blog. Everyone has a certain talent; they just might not know it. Not to be a braggart, but talent is abundant in my family. From the time both of my sisters and I were in third grade, we took piano lessons. Through our five years of playing the piano, we developed the talent to play this instrument and read music. My mom also has the talent of playing the piano. Not only is my family talented in music, but also in athletics. My dad was an elite soccer player for pretty much all of his life and was offered a scholarship to college for soccer. My sisters and I played basketball and various sports such as soccer and volleyball for five years and were talented enough to make the team. As we all entered high school, our talent followed us and we were able to make JV and varsity teams with my sister making JV and varsity cheerleading; my other sister making JV field hockey and JV and varsity lacrosse; and myself making the JV field hockey and lacrosse team. My family is also talented in academics. Again, my sisters and I were put in phase 4’s and 5’s, and we excelled in those classes. Talent is a wonderful thing, and should not be wasted. As Ben Franklin says, “Hide not your talents, they for use were made. What’s a sun-dial in the shade?” He is indicating that everyone should figure out and use their own, special talent. As Ben Franklin indicates for what’s the use of a sun-dial if it is put in the shade and does not even tell time? What’s the use of a talent if it is not used?
Option B
The aphorism I wanted to explain by Benjamin Franklin is, “He that lieth down with Dogs, shall rise up with Fleas.” I think the, “Dogs,” that Benjamin Franklin talks about, are all types of bad people. For instance, “Dogs,” at my school, would be people who do drugs, are failing classes, or do other inappropriate things. The quote is trying to say that if you hang around bad people, they are going to rub off on you and put some of their, “fleas,” or bad qualities into you. I have experienced this type of thing quite a few times in my life. A friend of mine started hanging around a new group of friends. Soon after, she started stealing, talking about people behind their backs, and doing horrible things that I never would have expected her to do. She changed into a completely different person, a miniature version of one of them. I knew I could not just sit back and watch this happen so I had a heart-to-heart talk with her one night and told her what I was feeling. After a while, she realized that she was not hanging out with the people she wanted to and, she was changing into something that she did not like. I am glad my friend saw what was happening before it go too late. I can definitely say that lying with the, “dogs,” will do nothing but give you fleas.
“Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”
I chose option B. This aphorism is saying that if you go to sleep early and wake up early you will feel better and smarter. This saying can relate to me a lot. When I was in fifth grade I remember staying up late and waking up real tired. That day I didn’t pay attention in class and didn’t do well on a couple quizzes I had. My parents set a curfew and I had to go to bed earlier. That day I did great on my tests and in school. I also noticed that when I woke up early my body was energized by the time I got to school. I felt really good and I could think straight and make better decisions. Now I wake up around five-fifty in the morning and go to sleep at nine at night as much as I can so I feel healthier and do better at school, which actually leads to making me wealthier from being awarded by my parents.
"He that lieth down with Dogs, shall rise up with Fleas."
As I recap some of the past from my life, I realize this aphorism gives meaning to events that have happened. One of these events is when I realized my best friend had found the wrong group of people to hang out with. My best friend had always been the "straight A" student. She had always been loyal and respectful to the people close to her, and herself. After middle school, high school seemed another story. She had started off well, but then started failing in all her classes. She had a different attitude towards me and didnt even care what I had to say. She even started to ditch school, as I noticed her disapearance almost every other day. After school one day, I saw her and some girls,that have been known for poor reputations, sitting by the curb. That was when I knew I had lost my best friend. She started to hangout with the wrong crowd and turned into one of them as a result. Even as I myself go out in the world making new friends, I remember what happened to my best friend. I have been raised to know right and wrong, and will not let that ruin the person I am inside. This is just one of the reasons why this aphorism reminds me of my life.
“When the well’s dry, we know the worth of water.”
This aphorism’s is saying that you don't really appreciate something until it’s gone. Four years ago my cousin, on my father's side of the family, past away at the age of 16. Growing up my family was close. We visited each other on holidays and sent cards on birthdays. During the summer and school year we never get around to visiting relatives because we are caught up in our busy lives. The day my cousin died I had just gotten home from soccer practice and my neighbor was at my house with my brother and sister. When I walked into the house it was quiet which is unusual for my house since I live with two younger siblings and a dog. Two hours later my parents had gotten home and still no one had said anything to me. They called me to their room and explained to me that they were at the hospital and that my cousin, Justin, had just died. I was in complete shock because I couldn’t remember the last time I saw him and I could not understand why he had died at such a young age. Four years later, I am still upset that I only saw him about once a year until he died. I hadn't gone to any of his sports games or even hung out with him, with the exception of the visit on Christmas, the years he was alive. I didn't really appreciate my only first cousin until he was gone. Thinking back on my life I know I could of made room in my schedule to visit my cousin. Family is supposed to be the most important thing in your life; I understand that now since I know how much my family if worth.
I chose assignment B. “Speak little, do much” is the aphorism that Ben Franklin said and he meant that you should not brag or talk too much about how amazing you are at a one particular matter but you should show your skills on the “playing field.” Some one who emphasized this was my football coach. Even though we are a very undersized (body wise and number wise) team, we still work very hard in practice and don’t talk bad about the other teams to their faces and we don’t brag about how good we will be that Friday night. But the other teams obviously don’t care. They talk bad about us all the time and most of it is up-close and to our faces. But when that Friday night comes up we are all pumped up and ready but the other team is so cocky and they mess around before the game and come in unprepared, but prepared to beat us. Our record is 1-3 but those losses were definitely hard-fought and those teams only beat us by a small amount. This aphorism taught me how important it is to be humble but still retain the same amount dignity and toughness throughout the game.
"A penny saved is a penny earned." -Benjamin Franklin
I chose this aphorism because it was the key to my grandpop's and grandma's success as the 1st generations of the Kaminski family. My grandma and grandpop were both born in America during the 1920's which was followed by the Great Depression in the 1930's. This was in a peroid of great termoil where the whole US stock market was upheveled. It was also extremely difficult for men to find steady work because every buisness and industry was short of money. These conditions made it hard for the US citizens to provide for their families. My grandparents learned how to save money very well because not only were they immigrants searching for opportunity, but it was also during time when America was far from opulent. My dad's dad grew up on a farm where they sold eggs, meat, garden plants and other crops to markets or other surrounding families. Every member of his large family had to work very hard to see that everyone had good food, clothing, a promising future and other essentials. So his family literally had to save every penny they earned to sustain themselves through the desperate times of the Depression. Meanwhile, my grandmother's enormous, Polish family had a challenging time in the city where all the buisness owners had to layoff many of their workers to save money. When there was a job opening, it was offered at an outrageously low salary. So by learning the value of saving money, they put all 8 of their children through Catholic school, and expensive colleges like Temple University. Walter and Helen Kaminski also made sure that their kids were well fed, dressed nicely, had cars, and opportunities for themseleves after college. All of these achievements resulted from my grandpop working two jobs, being a landlord, and cleaning offices with the kids. My grandma made wise investments in little things like food and, to larger things like education. She also cooked gourmet meals everyday instead of buying expensive and unnessicary foods. Every penny they saved payed off in the long-run and was a significant factor in their quest to ultimate success.
“He that speaks ill of the Mare, will buy her.”
When I first heard this quote in class I felt that I truly understood its meaning. The reason why I understood it so clearly was because when I was younger my sisters and I would “speak ill of the mare, but buy her.” The aphorism means that when many people want to buy something usually one person will talk down on the item they want to buy and try to convince the other people that the item is bad. By doing this the other people will decide not to purchase the item but buy a “better” one and that one person will buy the item for them self. There are many times in the past that my two older sisters did this to me, and being young and naive, I fell for it. I specifically remember one occasion that this occurred. My family was at the mall and we passed the Disney store. Immediately my sisters and I ran into the store trying to see who could find the best stuffed animal to get. It turns out that we all picked the exact same one, Simba from The Lion King. Instantly my middle sister, Andrea, went back to get the Nala stuffed animal to avoid conflicts. I on the other hand was not ready to give up Simba because I was always the one to give up things due to being the baby of the family. Well it turns out that my oldest sister, Marisa, already had a plan of how she was going to take Simba for herself. I told her I would not give him up and she had to find a new stuffed animal. She told me that Simba was a stupid stuffed animal and that Timone was a better one. She said that Timone was a much funnier character and that she could have more fun with him. Of course than I wanted to get Timone and asked her if I could get him instead. She agreed and ended up getting Simba. It never bothered me at the time because I did have fun with Timone. But now that I look back I see how naive I was. I also find it funny to watch my little cousins play together because they do the same thing to one another. I guess it happens to everyone!
“When there is no law, there is no bread.”
When Ben Franklin wrote this he meant that with out rules and order, nothing will get accomplished. As much as we would rather make our own rules instead of always being told what to do, the reality is that laws or rules are essential. I know this first-hand because I have experienced what it was like to have no rules before. My mom and dad can be strict about certain things. My mom is especially strict about keeping the house clean. Everything always needs to be in its proper spot before anyone can leave the house. A few years ago my parents decided to go to visit my aunt who lives an hour away. They left me in charge of my little brother and this was one of the first times I had ever watched my brother. Well, I was tired of my mom nagging me about cleaning my room and putting things away every single day so I was quite excited that I got to run my own show for the day. My mom left me a list of things to do before my parents got home later that night. The list included things like empty the dishwasher, clean my room and feed my little brother. The one thing on the list I did accomplish was eating. For breakfast, we ate ice cream. For lunch, we ate chips and candy and for dinner, we ate some more junk. My mom is a health food freak. We hardly ever ate chips or ice cream so I couldn’t wait to eat as much as I wanted when she was gone. One of my mom’s number one rules is to clean up right when we leave the table. Instead I decided that this rule was a trivial one and I would just clean up after all three meals were done. By the time my mom and dad came home, my brother and I both had stomach aches and the whole house was a mess. I got in a lot of trouble and I also learned the very important lesson that Ben Franklin taught through his aphorism. Ever since when my parents aren’t home I still follow their rules.
“Eat to live, and not live to eat”
I chose Option B for this entry. This aphorism means that you should eat to maintain a healthy, normal life, and to not eat so much as to become sick or unhealthy due to the amount of food you may eat. I believe this was taught to me by my mother. She would ensure that I ate a certain amount of nutritional meals during the course of a day. Fruits and vegetables were introduced to me and stressed about their importance at a young age. My mother would advise me on the proper amount to eat during a meal. Even now, she will scold me if I have eaten too much. Many people eat too much because they are bored and have a false sense of hunger. This can become dangerous to their health because their weight will increase and they could develop health issues such as diabetes. “Living to eat” represents those who eat just for the taste or possibly from boredom. Due to Ben Franklin’s ‘not so lean’ condition, this aphorism obviously originated from his nom de plum, Richard. His nom de plume is from his almanac, The Poor Richard’s Almanac which has many aphorisms like the one I have stated. This aphorism definitely resents gluttony and greed of food.
I chose option B. "When the well's dry, we'll know the worth of water." This means that you don't realize how much you appreciate what you have until it is gone. I can relate to this because a few years ago i was unable to run for a little over a year. I was playing a soccer game when I was thirteen, and in the middle of the game I tore my tendon. My doctors placed me in a leg brace at first for about six months, but after realizing that the tendon was not healing, they decided to put me in a cast..for four months. This was devestating! I always took the ability for myself to run and play soccer for granted, but then once it was taken away from me for a year I really did begin to realize how much i missed all of it. My tendon eventually healed and I was able to go to physical therapy and get some of my strength back and get right back into soccer and cross country. I always think about how lucky I am to be able to walk and run, ever since that happened!
“When the well is dry, we know the worth of the well.”
option B.
I chose this aphorism for a number of reasons. It basically means that in life we take alot of things for granted. It is only when those things are gone, that we truly realize how much they meant to us. I've come to know this very well through many of my experiences in life. I haven't necessarily lost alot of friends, but I have become more distant to certain friends. In the transition from middle school to highschool I found myself meeting alot of new friends.Also, although I hate to admit it,I also found myself putting my old friends, who had been with me through everything, on the "back burner." I still talked to them, but not as much, and when it came time to choose who I would hang out with on Friday nights, I chose my new friends over my old friends numerous times. I regret some of the decisions I've made. Some of the "new friends" that I talked about are really close to me now.Sadly though, I have lost touch with some of my old best friends. I took them for granted in thinking that they'd always be there no matter what and now I truly know how taking things for granted can and eventually will backfire.
" Tis easy to see, hard to foresee. ”
I think this aphorism means to not try to predict the future. God did not intend on us to be able to tell the future or else everyone would be able to. There are many times that we think we know what is going to happen. Whether that be for a sports game or the stock market or even your school work. If you try to foresee the future, you could be wrong and everyone would be upset with you. If you "predict" that a certain sports team is going to win over another or if a test in school is going to be really easy when it turns out to be just the opposite. We try to predict what will happen which doesn’t always work out in our favor.
“When the well’s dry, we know the worth of water.”
After i deliberated on which one of this brilliant man's aphorisms i should use, i finally came to the conclusion to use the one that you see at the top of the comment. Benjamin Franklin was one of the worlds most intelligent people and definatley knew what he was talking about when it came to life lessons. I chose this aphorism because i am a strong believer of what this little catchy saying has to offer. The quote means that one does not truely miss something untill it is gone. This can be applied to many events and stories in my life but only one comes to mind as being perfect. This year, my one and only brother went off to college twelve hours away in North Carolina. While he was here, we would have the occational brotherly chat and possibly share a word or two in the car on the way to school in the morning. We never hung out much other than this because mostly we just didnt have enough time with things such as sports, school, and our other friends keeping us from seeing eachother. Now that he is gone the house always seems empty and definatley a lot more quiet. Although it is nice to be able to not share a bathroom with another sibling, i still miss him more than ever. I wish i had taken advantage of the time that he was here to hang out with him more. Now he is even more busy with all of his college activities and im afraid that the chance i had to get to know him is slowly slipping away. This is an event in my life that shows how this little aphorism is in every shape and form, true.
'When the well is dry, we know the worth of the well.'
This aphorism caught my attention immediately. This August, my brother went off to college, leaving me to be an only child. Although he is at the University of Delaware, he is never home. I miss him driving me home from school and poking fun at our parents at the dinner table. We never had that true brother and sister connection where we could go and talk to each other about our problems. I never really payed much mind to having a brother. He was always just that kid that slept in the room next to me and occaisonally 'beat me up'. Now that he is gone I truly see how much I miss him. I hate to say that I took advantage of having him around but I wish that we were closer and kept in touch more. I sometimes talk to him on-line but no matter where he goes or what he does, he will always be my brother and my friend.
I chose letter A. and for it I chose the quote “Necessity never made a good bargain.” This quote reminds me a lot of my dad. Whenever he needs something like a raincoat or a hammer he goes out and buys a new one. Even though he probably has whatever it is that he went out to buy he is too lazy to go find it. So instead he convinces himself that he has a necessity. So out of perceived necessity he is willing to pay whatever that cost maybe for his lost or desired item. Sometimes he pays a ridiculous amount of money for something that we could have paid a lot less for. Like when our TV broke he went out to get a new one without researching the different brands, models, and prices. He ended up paying way too much for a brand we had never heard of. But since he was convinced that he needed to have a new television as soon as possible it didn’t matter to him.
Benjamin Franklin’s quote also reminds me of a time I was in a department store and I was really thirsty. I didn’t have any water with me and there were no vending machines nearby. They were selling bottled water at the cash register. But the water was overpriced and I decided not to buy any of it. The people in line in front of use bought some water though and remarked how expensive it was. They didn’t care though because they had a necessity for the water. So if one can convince oneself that they have a necessity to possess something they may do whatever it takes to gain possession of such an item. That is what this quote means to me.
When I reached to Franklin’s aphorism, “when the well’s dry, we know the worth of water”, I immediately knew the story that represents this thought. The story starts with my father coming to America.
My father came to American two years ago to do research on climate change at the University of Delaware, in Newark. My mother, my sister, and I came with him and my sister. My sister and I started going to school here.
This spring my father’s fellowship came to an end at the University. And, he had to return to Korea where he continued his work in the government. Before he left, my mother and he decided that my sister and I should continue our schooling here. My sister and I went to back to Korea so that we could apply for a student visa, which we received.
Presently, my sister is attending the University of Delaware as a freshman and I am attending St. Mark’s. My mother is here to take care of us while we are going to school.
The reason why I chose the aphorism, “when the well’s dry, we know the worth of water”, is because it makes me think of my father now. When my family was living in Korea, my father’s government work took him early in the morning into the center of Seoul. This meant, because he had so much work to do and he came back home so late most of the time, that I didn’t get many chances to see him.
However, when we came to this country, my father could get back and forth to work quickly and his research didn’t take as much of his time as it did in Korea. This meant he had more time to spend with the family. He played golf with my mom and me almost every week. He also took us on trips such as to Boston, Virginia, and Orlando. Something else we didn’t get to do in Korea was watching Korean drama together.
Now he is back in Korea working and we are here in Delaware without him. This is why I think of my father when I read the aphorism. Because it feels like a dry well now, that my father is gone. I am reminded of him more than ever when I think of all things that he did like taking us to the Korea marker in Philadelphia, writing the checks and playing golf with me as a partner.
"To err is human, to repent divine; to persist devilish."
I think that this quotation provides one with very good advice. I believe it to mean that everyone makes mistakes, as it is simply human nature to do so. However, to get value out of an error, one must realize his mistake and alter his ways, rather than repeatedly make faults in the same area. This being such a general statement, anyone could relate this to his or her life. Whether it is not studying for a test and failing, or not practicing and losing a game, all can come up with a story of how he has experienced this process in some form. Hopefully, when one makes an error, he is able to know that he has done wrong and regret doing so. Therefore, he will not continue to live in a path of mistakes. This quote exemplifies what a big part of our lifes are about. We experience much, and in return learn something. We may experience good or bad, and we will still learn. Ben
Franklin proposes an excellent point with this aphorism.
"Glass, China, and Reputation, are easily crack'd, and never well mended."
This is an aphorism that i feel is very important in ones life. Ben compares ones reputation to glass or china saying that it is easily broken. This is definatly true because ones reputation can take years to earn and seconds to lose. This is because one has to prove themself to get a good repuation, but one little mess up could ruin years of good deeds. To repair the glass or china is not easy. You have to glue it together and maybe some parts are even missing. Reputation is the way, its very hard to regain. This goes hand in hand with trust. My parents tell me this all the time, like i stated above with reputation, trust can take a lifetime to get and a second to lose. They say they will trust me until they get a reason not to. And when that happens I'm not allowed to do all the things im usually allowed to do. Therefore, this aphorism is important to me.
"God helps those who help themselves." At my grade school, we had a different "special" class for every day of the week. The five classes were gym, art, music, library, and computer. This aphorism reminds me of a former computer teacher of mine. Because the class only met once a week, my teacher would spend weeks and weeks preparing us for an important test at the end of the marking period. The very last class before the test he gave us a vital phrase that was like a riddle to helping us ace the test. God helps those who help themselves. That's all he told us that week before the test. While most of us were clueless as to what this meant, few of us knew that by going to the 'help' section in microsoft word, you could help youself do anything you wanted to. During the test, the teacher would not answer any questions. The only thing he would do was repeat the same phrase over and over again; God helps those who help themselves. Eventually most people figured the riddle out. Some people however, were quite upset that he wouldn't give us more of a hand. It was a unique way to get us thinking on our toes.
I choose option B. The aphorism I choose is, "Eat to live,not live to eat." My interpretation of the aphorism is that don't gorge yourself only eat enough to live. This could also hint at life in general not just eating. I feel our family does this very well. Although i do over eat sometimes, I don't gorge myself to the point I to puke. My immediate family as well as my non-immediate family does not buy things for the sake of buying things. We watch our pennies but not so much that we're tight wads. For example my mom asked me if I needed new shoes since they were worn and pretty old . I said that I'll live. Its not just me either. My grandparents never really bought anything that they did need, besides a huge TV, but everyone needs one of them. We don't spend money recklessly. Even my sister at a young age didn't want the big Barbie mansion that costs like $150. We survive with what we have, plus a couple leisures.
Have you ever created a plan in order to get something done efficiently? Have you ever had to create a plan in order to achieve a goal?
I have. This summer I was given the opportunity to paint our study. This would only have been the second room I have ever painted, so I decided to plan ahead before any paint was put on the walls. First, I had to check my schedule and set aside enough time to paint the study. Then, I had a conversation with my dad about the materials we would need for the project. The very lengthy list that we created had everything from paint to drop cloths. After the list was made, my dad and I went to the store to pick up these materials. After the long, but successful trip to the store, we seemed to have everything under control. Next, I created a list of things I had to do to prepare the walls to paint. This “to do” list contained preparation procedures like putty the holes and wash down the walls. After all of the preparation work was completed, I could start painting!
In the end, the newly painted room looks great! A word to the wise…if you are going to paint a room set aside enough time, make sure you have all the proper materials, and be sure to plan ahead!
“What you seem to be, be really”
This quote has alot of meaning evn though it is rather short. IT exapins alot in just those couple words. Alot of people these days are afraid to be who they really are. They are afraid people wont except them for who they are and where they come from, so they try and do what everyone else does. These days there is almost no sense of individuality, and even if there is, people get called out on it for no reason. People hide behind their fake faces and fake personalities beacause in my opinion people are to afraid to stand up and be themselves regardless of what that might be. Me personally, i learn from the people around me, noticing how petty people can be. I strive to make myself an individual and have a sense of indepence by not caring what people think or what they say. I feel like no one is true to these words anymore, and they should take a look at the world and people around them. That way they can develop and see what kind of person they want to be. Not just another pea in the pod.
jrd blue
a penny saved is a penny earned"
this quote could be compared to a certain plan i made a long time ago in middle school. my step dad always used to recite this line when money became an issue around the holidays ro times when i had money on me, or at times where i was working to earn money. i was about to begin the basketball season, and i had asked my step dad for a pair of the nike shox bb4's. they were the new basketball model out, and everyone liked them, so i wanted to buy them for the season. my step dad was hesitant towards buying them with his money, so he made a deal with me, that said, i will give you a dollar for every chore you do around the house, or any activity you do to help your mother when you get home from school. at first, i didnt want to take the deal, seeing that it was alot of work, and each time i would only recieve a dollar. he said simply, youl be suprised at how quick the 100$ comes around. i took the deal and began to search the house for needs and chores. i made enough money by the time the shoes came out, and was able to get the right color and size of shoe thanks to the deal of 1 dollar each chore. from now on, i never throw away nickels or pennies and always save chang, because change can amount to a single dollar, and dollars count.
KE BLUE said...
“When the well's dry, we know the worth of water.”
Benjamin Franklin advised people to appreciate everything in this proverb. One morning, I awoke to begin to prepare myself for school, and the well at my home was out of water! The water in my house was not working, but luckily I had showered the night before. Fortunately, my mother found a gallon of Deer Park Water, which my family put to good use. The water was divided with cups. Each member of my family used this to complete his or her daily ritual. I washed my face, hands, and brushed my teeth using only this gallon of water. When the water was finally fixed, I understood how important water was in my life. I believe that this aphorism was meant by Benjamin Franklin to say that you never know what you have until it is gone.
"A penny saved is a penny earned." A very clever aphorisms devised by Ben Franklin. This relates to me very directly. When I was a little kid, my dad would say "Make sure that you save some of your money in the bank, so that you can get a nice car when you grow up." I would also think that putting my money in the bank was like throwing it away, because it was out of my hands and I nver saw it again. What was the point? I still reluctently handed over about half of my hard earned birthday and chore money to my mom to be deposited in the bank. Well now as I near the time where I am in the market for a car, I see my dad's wisdom. All that money is sort of reappearing to me now. I saved it all those years, and know it is becoming accessible to me, and it really feels like I earned it. I am very glad that I took my parent's advice and saved some of my money for more important things later in life. I guess Ben Franklin has the same idea.
"What is serving God?
Tis doing Good to Man."
This aphorism is interpreted to mean that doing good to our neighbor is just the same as doing good to God. This reminds me of what my mom always used to tell me. She would always tell me that we should always think of others before we think of our selves because we would want someone to do that for us. She used to tell me that if someone is having a really bad day if you go out of your way to be nice to them, it goes a really long way. Perhaps your having the worst day, and you are just in the meanest mood ever. If, for example, you knock into an old lady and make her spill her purse, you can simply help her pick everything up and apologize with a smile. You could take this in another direction and just walk by and not stop and be courteous, however, that wouldn't be serving God. He can not come down and do his own good work for himself so if we don't help him out, it will never get done. We would be living in a miserable world with miserable people. My mom has always taught me to do unto others as i would have them do unto me. This is also, in a way, what Benjamin Franklin meant by this. He was sort of reinforcing what Jesus said to us. We should always think of others first and treat others as if we would want them to treat us. If you were having a bad day and someone knocked something out of your hands you would be happy if they helped you pick everything back up, rather then have them be rude and not help you and ignore the fact that they even knocked into you. That would effect you and your mood for the rest of the day in a very negative way. If we're all kind to each other than our days will seem to go by a lot better.
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