David Ellingson

Say What? A Fresh Look at Old Sayings David Ellingson

We hear them all the time "Everything happens for a reason." We use them as a form of "short-hand" to express big ideas and wisdom "Let go and let God." We use them as punctuation to end conversations "She's in a better place." They may be peculiar to your family or tribe "Too much rain ain't good either." They are ancient and biblical "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." They are contemporary and millennial "Throwing shade..." They may simply be memorable like a line from a poem "Good fences make good neighbors" They may be personal and original if that's possible "God writes straight with crooked lines." What are they? They are familiar expressions or old saying and adages. The benefit/gift of familiar expressions is they capture in a few words a bit or byte of wisdom. The bible contains a whole book of these sayings called Proverbs. Benjamin Franklin compiled many of these expressions in Poor Richard's Almanac. Robert Fulghum wrote a best seller about these nuggets of wisdom in Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. Repeated over and over again these sayings are passed on from generation to generation. The problem with familiar expressions is they are familiar Frederick Buechner adds "they are so familiar that we don't hear them. " I would add, we don't critique them to see if they are helpful or even true. This little book takes a fresh look at familiar expressions, old sayings, ancient adages and popular phrases. Sometimes I really like and agree with them. Other times I strongly disagree But most importantly, whether you are hearing them for the first time or once again, you can decide if they contain a measure of wisdom and direction for your daily life.