In the usual Christmas Cleanup, something probably everyone does when preparing for the holidays and decorating and company, etc., I ran across an old clipping of an article by the late, and somewhat infamous, James Reston. Having no idea as to the original reasoning behind why I clipped and folded it and stored it away in amongst souvenirs of other things for the last 20 years, I (fortunately) decided to give it another read.
Kak Izvestno – Russian for ‘as is well known’ – is simply a preamble, what one might expect to hear from any Russian just before he lays some Siberian wisdom on your soul. Re-reading Reston’s piece, I was struck by how pertinent and timely the Russian psyche was and still is today, and how sad it is that such an insightful people have been victimized for so long by tyrannical governance. Here are some of my favorites, or you can enjoy Reston’s piece in its entirety in the link.
Before a fight, two men are boasters, afterwards…only one.
Better to turn back than lose your way.
Don’t drive your horse with the whip. Use the oat bag.
All that trembles doesn’t fall.
In this world, not everyone with a long knife is a cook.
Be friends with the wolf, but keep one hand on your axe.
All the brave men are in prison.
Make yourself into a sheep, and you’ll meet a wolf nearby.
Learn good things – the bad will teach you by themselves.
Noblemen make promises, and peasants have to keep them.
The shortage will be divided among the peasants.
And my all-time favorite;
The church is near, but the road is all ice. The tavern is far, but I will walk very carefully.
When you have a culture that, even before the Communist took over, lived extremely hard and often very short lives, you get these wonderful matter of fact statements. The culture of the Deep South (White Black and other) in the late 1800's early 1900s was pretty much the same way. My Grandparents probably said half of those things in different words. Good one TC
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