Threads & Needles
Do you have a quote you live your life by or think of often?
Quotes are some of the most underrated random sources of inspiration. The other part is that we have all subconsciously built at least one life philosophy based off a random quote we once deemed profoundly impactful.
As a Nigerian, I come from a society that offers young people counsel and guidance as needed, some or most times unsolicited. The counsel will often have a quote or a parable somewhere in it, and oftentimes, the parable serves as the reminder of the content of the interaction.
Quotes, mostly short, witty, full of profound wisdom and undeniable insight, are easy gateways to accessing the mind’s creative vault especially when faced with a social dilemma of some sort.
For me, “a stitch in time saves nine” is a quote that I have always considered in my life dealings. I first learned this quote in the boarding school where we had to maintain neatness and uniformity at a very young age without the help of our parents. In America, that would be equivalent to the first year of middle school.
We had to learn how to do basic stitches for underskirts and petticoats (how I miss these ensembles!), fix a button, replace a zip, or change the elastic in the waistband of your underskirts. In learning and applying these things early in life, I established that indeed, a stitch in time saved nine!
This quote also is true with the human interpersonal relationship. If I identify something that goes against my precepts, I move to put in a stitch in time by stating my unwillingness to engage very clearly. Then I give the person more than a chance to readjust their intentions when engaging with me. This allows me to check if the behavior is an intentional and pervasive one. If yes, I am saving the other nine stitches by simply upholding my principles quite ruthlessly.
It’s just a stitch compared to nine others down the line? And this has spared me a lot of dramatic interpersonal situations that would have created an unnecessary mess in the end.
So take your needle and thread with you and apply that stitch where necessary. There’s no pride in wearing an untidy piece of fabric, and there’s also no pride in preserving messy interpersonal interactions.
What’s a life quote that you live by? How does that work for you? Share!
