SOLON & BEYOND: Let’s begin with Percy’s words of wisdom

by Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percy
grams29@tds.net
Solon, Maine 04979

As usual, my computer is giving me trouble again, so this may be a short one this morning. I had started writing the column at an early hour and I got quite a bit written and I lost it . The bad news is that I have finally decided that the computer is smarter than I am…. not good.

Have decided to start with Percy’s words of wisdom when he was still alive! This one is from The Town Line newspaper on March 28, 2013…… It ended with these words: Percy, as usual on our day to write this column, woke me bright and early! (but as you know Percy is no longer here to help me, and I miss him every day. He gave me no sympathy as I rebelled and told him it was too early to get up. In his normal persevering ways he won as usual. When all else fails, he spitefully scratches the furniture, Even so, I’m going to go with this saying by Sir Arthur Helps. “Wise sayings often fall on barren ground; but a kind word is never thrown away.” I know you like Percy’s words of wisdom, so here they are: “I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving. To reach the port of heaven, we must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it – but we must sail, and not drift, nor lie at anchor.” (words by Oliver Wendell Holmes.) I think of those words every time someone compliments me on standing up for what I believe in, or asks, “Are you staying out of trouble?”

Here is some good advice from yet another newspaper that I had written for back in December 15, 1988, in the Skowhegan Reporter. I had written under the title, SOLON, “The friendliest town in the state.” It started out with these words, “Good morning my friends! “Do you suppose, Oh could it be, that peace on earth might start with me?” Do you remember those idealist words written by me in an editorial not too many years ago? And do you detect the slight quiver of uncertainly in them now? – but still I dream that maybe some day mine will not be such a rebellious nature. Was reading in a book of mine the other day and came upon this statement and am inclined to agree – “Those who put peace before righteousness , and justice, and liberty, do infinite harm and always fail of their purpose ultimately.

Found this next one in The Town Line newspaper dated July 4, 2013, and this is the way one of the columns that I had written stated, “Now I have got to brag a little (which I know shouldn’t be done, so please forgive me).Was thrilled beyond belief on June 17 when I saw my grandson, Alexander (Zander) Walz’s picture on the front page of the daily paper. It was a great picture of him sitting at a piano (his favorite place), but his inspirational words to all other graduates really made me proud.

The following words are from the July 4, 2013, The Town Line newspaper, before Percy died and it starts, Whoops! I’ve used up half the words and I promised Percy he could write some of this column and here he is after waiting patiently: I love my human s-0-0-much but she gets upset when I kiss or as she says, (laps) her so today just to show her my side of the story, I’m going to write from the book, Love Is a Happy Cat. Loving cats entails recognizing that, like humans, we can suffer from emotional as well as physical problems, including allergies, depression, and flu. (I do have a physical problem and I feel much better since she took me to the doctor, and I know she puts that ground up pill in my tuna fish, but I eat it just to make her happy.) Love is providing me with feline TV in the form of a bird feeder outside the window. Oh, boy, did all of you see my picture on the front page of The Town Line last week? I want to thank Roland for putting it there, but that’s all I’ll say about that, I don’t want to be a bragger like my human is! I do have squirrels and birds of all colors and shapes right outside my window to watch.

And now I’m going to give my human an extra kiss for letting me help her write our column this week and leave you with my wise words: To be a friend a man should strive to lift people up, not cast them down: to encourage, not discourage; to set an example that will be an inspiration to others.