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Ray Stubblefield

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From the RoundTable blog

I have two home pages, one with Yahoo and the other with Google. You can personalize these pages to the nth degree. The number of options is incredible. I use Yahoo mainly for news, weather and e-mail, and Google for searches and my work. But a lot of my Google page has just fun, neat stuff, especially with the graphics interface.

On Google, I can track the International Space Station, see what a barrel of oil is selling for at the moment, know the magnitude and location of the largest earthquakes of the day, have a quick link to Wikipedia, and get a quote from a famous person, along with a picture.

The quotes range from ancient to contemporary, from Aristotle to Leno. And of course there are quotes from Einstein, Will Rogers and Yogi Berra.

Over the years, I have developed a few of my own axioms, maxims or sayings, if you will. Some of you will find they are not upbeat, touchy-feely, or positive enough. Believe me, these are not going to show up on a Hallmark card, but sometimes I think a few of them would make a great Tshirt or bumper sticker.

Of course, there is nothing new under the sun, and the following ideas, I'm sure, have been expressed many times in many different ways, but as far as I know, none has been expressed exactly this way.

Here are my top 10 sayings. See what you think.

Money can't buy you happiness. It can't buy you love, and it can't buy your health. But what it can do is give you options.

No. 1: The more money you have, the more options you have.

This makes the opposite true. The less money you have, the fewer your options.

No. 2: You can tell what's important to a person or society by where they spend their time and money.

Some of the wealthiest people in our society are entertainers and sports figures. The only reason these people make so much money is because we give it to them.

When Americans aren't working, they're watching a movie or ball game, or listening to music or attending concerts. If my salary as a teacher is any indication of what Americans value, it is safe to say it certainly isn't education.

Sometimes I'm called a cynic, but that carries such a negative connotation. So I came up with my own definition.

No. 3: A cynic is an idealist who cannot ignore reality.

As an idealist I see the way the world could and should be, but as a realist I see the way it is. Cynicism is my coping mechanism.

I'm somewhat of a perfectionist. I demand a lot from myself and others. Thankfully, I've softened a bit in my old age. Believe it or not, this next saying has helped me to be less critical.

No. 4: If you want to get along with people, lower your expectations.

That sounds harsh at first, but think about the guy who cuts you off in traffic or the rude sales person. You have to realize that, often times, when you get upset with someone, it's because they didn't behave according to your expectations. Life's too short to waste being upset over things you can't change. Of course, I don't recommend this to parents or teachers.

But there are some people you're never going to get along with, no matter what you do, so whenever possible ...

No. 5: Minimize contact.

No. 6: You have to possess competence, character and integrity before you can recognize these qualities in others.

Number 7 is my formula for success. For every successful person in this country, these variables are in place. The values for each variable are different for every person.

No. 7: Success = brains + talent + ambition.

But then some people make it because of family money and connections.

The next saying is true anywhere, but it's never more true than in the classroom. So much of what I teach falls on deaf ears, and this is one of the reasons why.

No. 8: People aren't going to hear the answer if they aren't asking the question.

The lack of academic curiosity that many teens exhibit is absolutely staggering. But it's not all their fault.

No. 9: Life is easier if you're good-looking.

It's not fair but so true. Remember at the party in junior high how all the guys tripped over themselves trying to talk to the best-looking girl there? It never changes, no matter how old you get.

And finally, this one needs no explanation.

No. 10. Live each day as though it may be your last, but have a plan in case it isn't.

Stubblefield, a physics and astronomy teacher at Magna Vista High School in Ridgeway, is a Roanoke Times columnist.