Some Ass Burning Wisdom

By Jim Hagarty
2012
My mother used to say, if you burn your ass, sit on the blister. I have sat on many a blister over the years. Not fun. But as I write this, for the first time, I am wondering how does a person burn his ass? Fall bum-first into the fireplace? Accidentally sit on the stove? Fall asleep for four hours nude sunbathing face down? Anyway, that was an expression she got from her mother and it’s folk wisdom at its best. Suffering the consequences of our mistakes teaches us at least as much if not more than enjoying the benefits of our successes.

Author: Jim Hagarty

I am a 72-year-old retired journalist, busy recovering from a lifelong career as an unretired journalist. This year marks a half century of my scratching out little fables about life. My interests include genealogy, humour and music. I live in a little blue shack in Canada and spend most of my time trying to stay out of trouble. I am not that good at it. I also spent years teaching journalism. Poor state of journalism today: My fault. I have a family I don't deserve, a dog that adores me, and two cars the junk yard refuses to accept. My prized possessions include my old guitar and a razor my Dad gave me when I was 14 and which I still use when I bother to shave. Oh, and my great-great-grandfather's blackthorn stick he brought from Ireland in the 1850s. I have only one opinion but it is a good one: People take too many showers.