Thoughts of wisdom and winter chill

As winter approaches we feel a bit old. Rain pours down on the necks and passes under collars making life miserable. We feel it is time to withdraw to our den and wait for better days.

What can you do to pass the time? There's always the TV but sometimes it can be too much. What's the point in seeing some tropical paradise when the deluge is lurking at the window?

Years ago, when TVs were just for the rich or even longer ago when people had just started making huts to keep away the cold, the elders used free time to share their knowledge.

It is a practice long forgotten. Nowadays youngsters receive valuable insight from MTV's semi-nude, violence-preaching stars.

They learn to appreciate the eloquence of a semi-automatic handgun - it always wins an argument. They learn how to be street-wise - that is how to better scare the bejesus out of parents and teachers and how cool it is to be a serial killer.

I noticed that almost all American movies show how smart killers are. They have lots of books and they quote Shakespeare frequently. On the other hand, the cop du jour knows only how to handle his Magnum.

The killer gets it every time. I guess it doesn't pay to be smart.

Why, you better start thinking about your child's future and invest in some military training. It builds character AND he will know how to efficiently get rid of the country's enemies - like some populace thousands of miles away that never learned "protecting your country" means waging war overseas.

Let's get back to the elders... I remember when I was a little child and I first went to school, in the book they gave us there was this story that I failed to understand then. I am telling it to you.

Perhaps it will do some good. The schoolbooks don't include it today. I think I saw pictures of Metallica in one. Here goes:

Once upon a time there was an old man who had a son. The son was very bad and did only terrible deeds. Each time the son did a bad deed, the father hammered a nail in the door.

As time passed, the door became filled with nails and the son took notice. He asked his father: "Why the nails?" The father told him: "Every time you did something bad, I put a nail in the door."

"But there are so many!" "For each one, my heart grew sadder!" So, unlike real life, the son realised he had to change and cleaned up his act. Every time he did something good, he went to the door and removed a nail. One day he took his father and showed him the door.

He proudly said: "Look dad, the door has no more nails in it. I washed my sins." The old man looked at the door and said: "Yes my son the door has no nails in it, but what about the holes?"

This is the end of my story. I'm sure an MTV guy would say the son was stupid for not using the latest magic clay available on the shopping channel. But I bet there are people who still believe in the wisdom of the old. If you don't have a grandfather, buy one!