"More Boys Are Born During Wartime"

My father has a lot of wisdom, though you might just call it an odd way of looking at the world.

Here's some of the advice he's given me:

• Don't mess with anybody smarter than you. (Translation: Don't do business with anybody smarter than me.)
• Don't worry about anything you get on yourself that can be washed off. (Translation: When your mother throws up on you because she's recovering from anesthesia, pretend like it didn't happen, even if you are a kid and about to throw up yourself.)
• Anything worth having takes a lot of trouble.
• When the economy goes bad, those lawn service people will be the first to go under.
• Never put all your money in one bank. Nobody needs to know what all you've got or they can control you.
• Buy a car and drive it until the wheels fall off.
• Don't ever quit.
• Always check your oil.
• Don't let the dog sleep in your bed after he's been in poison ivy. (Actually, don't let the dog sleep in your bed was the rule.)

Yesterday he said something to me that is one of the strangest things I've ever heard. All of Saintly Brothers' grandchildren are boys, and we just found out that there's another boy on the way. One of Paul's brothers has a platoon of boys himself.

"More boys are born during wartime," my father said. "At least that's what they used to say."

I've never heard this. I think it's unlikely that it's true, but I wouldn't be completely surprised. Our bodies pick up on all kinds of cues, such as when I was in college living in a dorm our bodies would start to cycle together. Who knows. Maybe when tribes would be at war for generations, more baby boys would grow up in time to be useful. But then it seems like we would always be having more boys.

I enjoy folk wisdom and thought you might, too.

Comments

[lorianne]

interesting - on the one hand, we do 2/3 of our crib bedding and custom interiors for girls -- is it because their mommies are more into a girl baby's room?

on the other hand, my nellie is the ONLY girl grand- or great-grand child in her daddy's family
V's older sister - 3 sons; 5 grandsons
V's younger sister - 2 boys
and we have 1 of each!
so n is outnumbered 11 to one and is VERY
proud to be the only girl!

[lorianne]

interesting - on the one hand, we do 2/3 of our crib bedding and custom interiors for girls -- is it because their mommies are more into a girl baby's room?

on the other hand, my nellie is the ONLY girl grand- or great-grand child in her daddy's family
V's older sister - 3 sons; 5 grandsons
V's younger sister - 2 boys
and we have 1 of each!
so n is outnumbered 11 to one and is VERY
proud to be the only girl!

[Angry]

#2. The motto of most of my children.
#3. Or nagging.
#6. My approach exactly.
#7. I've quit a lot of things, which is probably why I'm still alive today.
#9. Don't let the dog sleep in the house works for me.

And more boys than girls...? Let me just check with my 6 sons and 1 daughter on that one.