Sunday Afternoon Musings

Nuggets of Wisdom

6/21/2026

Some of the things my dad said have been rattling around in my head for more than sixty years.

Most of them were spoken outside—riding horses in the desert, sitting around bonfires, fishing, fixing fences, driving dusty roads, or standing in the backyard while kids ran in and out of the house and somebody hollered, “We aren’t cooling the whole town.”

Summer had a way of slowing life down just enough for Dad to start talking.

And he always had something to say.

Some of it was practical. Some of it was strange. Some of it made no sense whatsoever until twenty years later when I suddenly heard myself repeating it to my own children.

I had a pretty tough dad who spent a good deal of my growing-up years trying to turn me into a respectable member of society. Looking back, I wish I had paid more attention. At the time, though, I was usually too busy rolling my eyes and assuming he was just an old cowboy with opinions about everything.

Turns out, he knew a thing or two.

Common Sense

• “If you wear tennis shoes when you ride horses, your foot could slip through the stirrup, and you’d get dragged to death.”

  I even made my husband and kids wear boots when they rode horses.

• “Don’t name the steer that’s going to be next year’s meat.”

  Poor Sirloin. So trusting. He never even knew what hit him.

• “Don’t walk barefoot through a freshly cut alfalfa field.”

  Bare feet are no match for an alfalfa field, freshly cut or otherwise.

• “Never kick a horse on the way back to the corral.”

  If I had taken that advice, my sister wouldn’t have gotten thrown into the hitching post, and I wouldn’t have gone through the gate in front of my boyfriend.

Boys

• Before my first date: “Boys are basically nasty.”

  He was right.

• “Nothing bothers a boy more than knowing he disappointed his mom.”

  I didn’t believe it until I had sons of my own.

• “There comes a time in every young man’s life when even the farm animals ain’t safe.”

  I don’t even have a comment for this one.

Car Care and Maintenance

• “Before you leave on your first date, you’re gonna change a tire.”

  Seriously, Dad? Couldn’t we have done this before I did my hair and makeup?

• “Check the oil before you go anywhere.”

  Still solid advice.

• “Run the car on the top half of the tank. Don’t ever let ’er get below half-full.”

  Something I have yet to convince my husband is a good idea.

Manners

• “If you’re gonna eat like a pig, I’ll build you a trough.”

  He did. I deserved it. It graced our dinner table for a long time after that.

Being a Girl

• “You need to learn to act like a lady.”

  There was a time and place for spitting, swearing, and fighting, but learning to be a lady mattered too.

• After learning I’d blacked my younger brother’s eye because he called me a female dog: “If he says it again, black ’em both.”

  The only time I ever had permission to smack my brother. Oddly enough, he never said it again. At least not where I could hear him.

• “No matter how hard you try, you can never be a dad.”

  He was right. I ended up being a mom.

Raising Kids

• “Kids are different. Some need a stern look. Some need a swift kick in the rear end.”

  Which kid was I? I don’t remember many stern looks.

• After he caught me smoking: “Raising cows is a lot like raising kids.”

  I wasn’t entirely sure how we got onto the subject of raising cows, but by the end of the drive, I was pretty certain I’d never smoke again.

• “Do you want a spanking?”

  That was a pretty dumb question.

• When my first child graduated from high school and left home: “Don’t cry because he’s leaving. They always come home, and most of the time they’ve increased in number. That’s when you cry.”

  Tears of joy.

Self Respect

• As a teenage girl: “If a boy touches your butt, belt him in the nose.”

  I belted more than one.

• “Be proud of who you are and never disrespect your name.”

  I hope I lived up to that directive.

• “A one-holed outhouse was common. A two-holed outhouse meant you were doing pretty well. A three-holed outhouse meant you were a cut above.”

  Dad’s family had a three-holer. I believe I come from royalty.

Pride

• “I’m proud of you, Sis.”

  That’s all I ever wanted to hear.

Funny how those things stuck. It wasn’t the lectures or the long talks. It was the little nuggets of wisdom Dad tossed out while we were busy doing other things.

Half the time I probably rolled my eyes. The other half I was too busy being a kid to pay much attention.

And yet here I am all these years later, hearing his voice every time I top off the gas tank, remind myself to act like a lady, or laugh out loud when somebody says something that sounds exactly like their granddad.

My dad probably had no idea I was paying attention.

Truth be told, I had no idea I was paying attention either.

— Charlene