If I Had A Nickel For Everyone Of Them, I'd Be Rich!

I'm talking widom here. You know, those immortal sayings that taught us valuable life lessons? Words of wisdom passed down through the generations to you. And I bet you caught yourself saying the same things to your kids. " Just wait 'till your father comes home" or "Go ask your mother."
I'm wondering if through the years, some of these sayings have changed because our world has. For example, "You better eat everything on your plate. There are starving children in Korea." Do parents now say the same things to their kids except change Korea to Africa?
I suspect these quirkey expressions become part of our DNA and then one day, these valuable words just automatically leave our lips to be passed on to some unsuspecting child. I have made a short list of some from my memory bank. I am sure you will recognize many of them. So, I am asking you, in your comments to share some of what you remember.  Why? Because I said so!
"You made your bed, now lie in it."
"Smooth move Ex-Lax!"
"If the shoe fits, wear it."
"Don't kiss the boys or you will get pregnant."
"If I have to stop this car...."
"Were you born in a barn?"
"Two wrongs don't make a right."
"If they jumped off the bridge, you would too."
"Children should be seen and not heard."  (would Dr. Spock object to this?)
"If you had another brain it would be lonesome."
"You're so far back in the woods you can't see the trees."
"This too shall pass."
"Waste not want not."
"Don't be a tattle tail."
"Close the door, I don't pay good money to heat the outdoors."
"Either in or out."
"Money doesn't grow on trees."
"If you cross your eyes they will stay that way."
"Wear clean underware in case you have to go to the hospital."
"Be home before the street lights come on."
"If you can't say anything nice, then don't say anything at all."
"Your eyes are bigger than your stomach."
"You would loose your head if it wasn't attached."
"Don't take any wooden nickels."
OK,  you're it, now it's your turn.....

Teacher, Mother, Or Nurse

As a girl growing up in the fifties, when someone asked you, "What do you want to be when you grow up?", there were really only three choices. You could be a teacher, mother, or nurse. I of course had no desire to be any of those. My three choices were, artist, race car driver or movie star. I really believed my parents were somewhat worried about me.
I suppose they had reason to. One Christmas, I got the big gift. So excited as I ripped off the wrapping, I was devastated to find what was inside. It was of all things, a cardboard closet with little brooms and mops. My God, I thought to myself!
What are they trying to do to me! What an insult! All I wanted was a go-cart, or a bunch of toy cars and trucks. I wasn't asking for much, really. Bottom line, I was so shocked, I started crying. I think they thought I was so happy to get that gift.
My poor mother just wanted me to be like her. Well, that wasn't going to happen. I ran upstairs and hid under my bed, for fear they would come after me and make me sweep the floor. I will never forget that moment as long as I live.
Women of that time suffered with the dissatisfaction of making beds, cooking meals, and doing all the things homemakers do. Is that all there is in life? I am sure women were even afraid to ask themselves that question. Television didn't help matters much. Shows like "Leave It To Beaver" or "Father Knows Best" really stereotyped the image of the housewife.
It's interesting to think about our society. It forces boys to grow up, but not girls. Blue and pink. Black and white. Growing up in the fifties left no choices for women. Betty Friedan, who wrote "The Feminine Mystique" in 1963, called suburbia "a bedroom and a kitchen sexual ghetto." Wow! Those were strong words back then. She declared that while women were seeking fulfillment exclusively through their homes and families, they had in turn lost their own identities. She was quoted as saying, " If we continue to produce millions of young mothers who stop their growth and education short of identity, without a strong core of human values to pass on to their children, we are we are committing, quite simply, genocide." Friedan later helped found the National Organization Of Woman (NOW)
I must say, that I am truly amazed at the contributions and accomplishments women have made in modern society. My grandmother would just flip at the fact that a woman could actually run for president or go into orbit.
Myself? To this day, my main objective is not to clean house, thanks mom. I have accomplished much in my life without the push of my parents and there is much more to do.