As the years go by … things we wish we had known all along:

• Chickens are not smart
• Some jokes are just not funny
• Chocolate tastes so good
• Stars shine brighter in the dark
• Birthdays get less important every year
• Mean people just get meaner
• Rock and roll is here to stay
• Yankees know everything and are quick to tell you
• The Rorschach Test does not work
• Books are real heavy to move
• Museums used to be for exhibits
• Mother Nature didn’t see climate change coming
• Electronic gizmos are not made to last
• Old doesn’t meant worn out, useless, or thrown away
• Denial is not a river in Egypt
• Libraries are for information
• Dinner parties are not what they used to be
• Heat is a luxury if you don’t have any
• Coin collecting can be lucrative
• Indians still need an apology
• Eat slow, enjoy the taste, chew your food and drink water
• Beauty is not always on the surface
• Hot tea soothes a lot of nerves
• Churches are still open for business
• Telemarketers are for the rest of our lives
• Flowers are just as pretty up close
• Arrowheads are probably the oldest thing you have ever held
• Don’t play with gasoline or electricity
• Telling lies is like digging your grave
• COVID can stop the best laid plans
• Vacations are made for people who hate their job
• Yankees will never admit they were wrong
• Manual labor can be good for your body
• Change is for those who are tired of living
• Potted plants need constant attention
• Latin and the classics should be required in school
• Etiquette and manners are learned
• Talking about art is a waste of time
• People who can fix things are your best friend
• To tie a bow or thread a needle is a lost art
• Wood is still the best building material
• Your culture is made to celebrate, not denigrate
• Drugs would not be an option for recreation
• You can’t hide diversity
• Artistic is one letter away from autistic
• It’s never too late to say thank you or you’re welcome
• If you make a mess, clean it up now, not later
• Simple is O.K.
• Keep people and places in your memory
• Some things are not meant to be eaten
• Collecting is not against the law
• War is not healthy for children and other living things
• Mindless social media can take over your life
• Your vocabulary tells a lot about you
• It’s impossible to find the end of double sided tape
• Leftovers are better the next day
• The Bible is not just to swear on
• Calling people names is hurtful to both
• Ice cream tastes better with a coin silver spoon
• It doesn’t cost more money to be nice
• Time goes by slower sitting on a glider in the back yard
• Make your kids proud like your parents did you
• Old people didn’t listen when they were young also
• Politicians spend money like its Christmas everyday
• You can’t erase history
• How fast does not mean how well done
• Friends are made to keep
• Time does not slow down just for you
• Some things are better left unsaid
• Don’t worry about the years to come, they will be here before you know it.

 Clyde is an artist in Salisbury.