On karma and old fire sticks
IT is through lived experiences that wise people can create proverbs or make pronouncements that are often more factual than not — or as Cervantes said in Don Quixote, “proverbs are short sentences drawn from long experience”. Example, the many proverbs about relationships, and living a wholesome life; advice that’s usually passed down from our moms, dads and grandmas, that many of us ignore because we think we know it all.
But life has a way of coming full circle, and so we asked people, what old time saying or warning were you given, but ignored, that was later proven to be true, as you moved through life?
Annette, 40:
Karma is real, especially the quote, “what goes around comes around”. When you do bad things, not even prayer can save you from your karma. Worse, it often comes when you least expect it. When I was younger, I told a lot of lies to keep men. I’d fake pregnancies and such things, because I couldn’t bear to be alone. I hurt a couple guys in the process and a lot of friendships ended. Now I’m married, a Christian and a mother, and life was good. But it’s now that old skeletons are coming out, and karma is biting me. Even the things I’d asked forgiveness for, I’m now realising that because I was such a horrible person, I’m suffering.
Elder, 44:
“Take time to know her, love is not an overnight thing”, and that saying, “see me and come live with me…” My father always warned me about this. I got married and it has been hell. Because she transformed, and half the things I now know about her and the type of woman she is, she hid when we were dating.
Carmel, 34:
“Ole fire stick easy fi ketch, or ole broom know corner”— my mother warned me about my ex and his child’s mom, but I never listened. I believed him that they were not together, filed for him and the child, and as soon as his papers came through, he was making plans to bring her up to the States.
Paul, 38:
“When man make himself like sugar everybody use him”, and “if you lie with dogs, you will catch fleas”. My father always told me to wise up and not be such a good guy, and warned me that some women belonged to the streets. From the trauma and drama that was my marriage and divorce, and with all I lost, I’ve found that you can’t be too nice all the time, or people will take advantage of you.
