The Truth in Old Adages

             "A stitch in time saves nine", says an old saying. When I was a youngster my mother and her family elevated this short, six-word sentence to the level of a religious proverb. As Grandpa Frank (I had a Grandpa Frank and a Grandpa Abe but their wives were Grandma and Granny, go figure) collected the necessary accouterments to change the oil in his pick-up he would answer our question why by saying, "Well, ya know a stitch in time saves nine." When Grandma would clean up spilled milk from the kitchen table she would murmur under her breath, "A stitch in time saves nine." Queried by us as to the nature of her sewing my mother would say, "A stitch in time saves nine." Eventually, even my father began to use this euphemism and would explain that he was repairing the bathtub because, "A stitch in time saves nine." Though I understood each of these activities I could not see how "stitching" could save them all. At the ripe old age of nine, I finally realized sewing was clearly stitching, but the use of this phrase to describe the activities of the rest of the family continued to confuse me. Eventually, I would come to understand the nature of the phrase and its application to our family's life.
             I can still close my eyes and see Grandpa Frank standing in the entryway of his house. Wearing his faded red "lumberjack" plaid shirt and his ever-present blue beret on his crew cut head, he and I would walk to the garage. As he collected the necessary tools and supplies from the shelves the conversation played out nearly the same each time.
             "Wha'cha doin' Grandpa Frank?", I would ask.
             "Getting' ready ta change the earl (never the oil, always the earl)", he would reply.
             "How comes Grandpa Frank?"
             "Because Billy, a stitch in time saves nine", would always be his answer.
             ...

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The Truth in Old Adages. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 03:25, March 29, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/79205.html