[ lessons learned ] @ eclectic

What I've learned ...

There's something to be said for "living and learning."

... from being a waitress

* There's a right way to ask for something, but most people have no idea what it is.
* Food and drink do not magically appear when ordered.
* Saying "I'm in a hurry" does not speed up your order. The entire restaurant is "in a hurry".
* A person who is nice to a date but not to the server is not a nice person.
* Most servers are paid less than minimum wage, so please don't skip the tip.
* When leaving a tip, do not try to put it in the server's apron pocket.

... from college

* Sometimes grades don't reflect a person's understanding of the material.
* Even really great teachers don't know everything.
* If there's a way to inconvenience someone, chances are the people who make the class schedule have mastered it.
* When registering for classes, become very familiar with what classes you need, when they are offered, whether or not they have prerequisites, etc. Do not rely solely on your advisor.

... from life

* Being self conscious is a waste of time: people don't pay as much attention as we think they do.
* There are many things that we don't really need.
* Most of the things you worry about never happen.
* People say "impossible" when they simply don't want to try.
* Actions really can speak louder than words.
* A kind word can make someone's day.
* Being single is not a curse.
* No matter how much I care, some people just don't care back.
* Money is a lousy way of keeping score.
* Talking can ease emotional pains.
* It takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it.
* If you give someone $20 and never see them again, it was probably worth it.
* You can do something in an instant that will give you a heartache for life.
* It's not WHAT you have in your life, but WHO you have in your life.
* Our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for ourselves.
* No matter how thin you slice it, there are always two sides.
* It's a lot easier to react than it is to think.
* You can keep going long after you think you cannot.
* Either you control your attitude, or it controls you.
* Patience takes a whole lot of practice.
* When I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.
* No matter how bad your heart is broken, the world doesn't stop for your grief.
* The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything, they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.
* To have character is to be big enough to take life on.
* You shouldn't waste your time on someone who isn't willing to waste their time on you.
* Be aware that if you put someone on the spot, they may tell you what you want to hear - but they probably won't mean it.
* Giving someone all your love is never an assurance that they'll love you back. Don't expect love in return; just wait for it to grow in their heart, but if it doesn't, be content that it can grow in yours.

... from horror movies

* When leaving a group of friends to venture off into the night, never say "I'll be right back." You won't.
* Do not search the basement or attic, especially if the power is out.
* When you have the benefit of numbers, never pair off and go alone.
* If you are searching for something that caused a loud noise and find out that it was just the cat, get the heck out. Expeditiously.
* Should appliances start operating by themselves, do not check for short circuits. Again, just get out.
* If you find a town that looks deserted, there's probably a good reason for it. Don't stop and look around.
* When running from a monster, DO NOT look back.
* If you drop your flashlight into a hole, under a door, or anywhere you have to reach into blindly, don't. Your arm will most likely be eaten.
* If a strange man moves in next door do not, repeat do not, invite him into your house, nor let him see you peering at him.

... from quotes and sayings

* Those who dance will be laughed at by the ones who can't hear the music.
* It's just as easy to fall in love with a rich man as it is with a poor man.
* Forgive and forget: relive and regret.
* The only fool bigger than the one who knows it all is the one who argues with him.
* We are each so much more than what other people reduce to measuring.

... from songs

* Where the sun always shines, there's a desert below.
* You've got to know when to hold 'em. Know when to fold 'em. Know when to walk away. Know when to run.
* You can't always get what you want.
* Tough times don't last. Lovers do.
* Everybody plays the fool.
* It's a beautiful day; don't let it get away.
* Don't worry; be happy.
* Sad songs say so much.
* If this ain't love, baby, just say so.
* Almost doesn't count.
* Don't forget your second wind.
* Sometimes love just ain't enough.
* Some people are easy on the eyes, hard on the heart.
* Stand by your man.
* What a fool believes he sees, no wise man has the power to reason away.
* It's gotta come from the heart if you want it to work.
* It's a great day to be alive.
* Don't let 'em get you down; don't let 'em push you around.
* Never run away.
* You've got to stand for something or you'll fall for anything.

... from watching Alias

* Some people can get their wigs to stay on really well.
* Know your employer.
* Sometimes the truth hurts. A lot.
* A tight dress is really all a girl needs to crash some very "swank" parties.
* Only an American would come to someone's door without telephoning.
* If you find a high-tech listening device, telling it your name and phone number is not a good idea.
* College can be more painful than torture.
* Sometimes "I'm sorry" just isn't enough.
* When in doubt: smile and fake it.
* For clandestine spy meetings, you can't beat a bloodmobile.
* She who fights and runs away lives to fight another day.
* Never underestimate your enemy.
* Company policy prohibits employees dating: does anyone really care?
* Sometimes bad things happen to good people.
* Sometimes bad things happen to bad people.
* To make any office feel more personal, add a candy jar.
* Throwing your pager into the ocean might make you feel better.
* Never break up with someone while you are a passenger in their car.
* Try not to take your work home with you.
* Try not to assume the worst about members of your family.
* When setting a trap, you may have to use the good stuff as bait.
* Rarely is it a good thing that the boss wants to talk to you.
* Sometimes it is necessary to work with people that you don't like.
* Before knocking someone out, secure their bottle of Coca Cola.

... from watching Angel

* The handsome man doesn't always rescue the damsel in distress, but she doesn't always need him to.
* We all have a dark side.
* Beware of beautiful women in dark alleys.
* Beware of handsome men who insist that they don't bite.
* Some humans are monsters.
* A cry for help is when you say "help" in a loud voice.
* We should all smile more.
* Sometimes the journey is taken simply because it must be taken.
* Next time you're looking for something, try hitting the last place first.
* Angel is pretty much a girlie name.
* A bomb can ruin a perfectly fine office.
* If someone tries to shoot your own personal back, it's personal.
* Sex has consequences.
* You can overcome your past, but it's a rocky path.
* Brooding is such a waste of time.
* If nothing we do matters, then all that matters is what we do.
* If you're a warrior slated for the coming apocalypse, you're gonna want a hair gel with hold.
* It's not that vampires don't photograph; it's that they don't photograph well.
* Outward appearance is no way to tell about a person's inner self.
* Three good things to avoid: dancing, dating, and singing in public.
* Don't confuse who you are with what happens to you.
* If you lie to your friends, be sure it will come back to haunt you.
* It's possible to be creeped out and comforted at the same time.
* When the leather pants come out, there's going to be trouble.
* Some people just should not have (a lot of) money.
* Sometimes you only get one second chance.

... from watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer

* You can't trust guys.
* Sometimes you can't trust girls either.
* On an English make-up exam, you don't get credit for speaking it.
* Seize the moment, 'cause tomorrow you might be dead.
* It's funny how the Earth never opens up and swallows you when you want it to.
* 'Hunk' can mean a lot of things. Bad things.
* No speaking up. That way leads to madness and sweaty palms.
* If you lurk, you can learn things.
* It's a statistical impossibility for a sixteen-year-old girl to unplug her phone.
* If dropping hints doesn't work, drop anvils.
* The mystery that is men goes something like this: they grow body hair, they lose all ability to tell you what they really want.
* Tact is just not saying stuff that's true.
* There's no use arguing with someone wearing her Resolve Face.
* Generally speaking, when scary things get scared: not good.
* You wanna talk fun? Public bus. You meet the funnest people.

... from watching MacGyver

* It's funny what pops into your head when you're trying to work.
* Old Alexander Graham Bell has a lot to answer for.
* Herpetologists say that everyone has an inner fear of snakes. Including herpetologists.
* Just when you're getting ahead, somebody always changes the odds.
* Always be prepared.
* Taking something that doesn't exist probably isn't breaking the law.
* An "interesting" life is not always a good thing.
* Someone with an armored van probably didn't win it in a raffle.
* What others don't know can help you.
* Some people still go out into the wilderness in search of their dream.
* A person might be willing to break the law in order to uphold it.
* Every family's got its problems.
* Enough is enough.
* Some freaks believe that people are "big on aliens in Alabama."
* Seaweed's not considered to be the best lure for fishing.
* The past is a strange country.
* Some people lack artistic tastes.
* When flying a jet, you don't have a lot of time to admire the scenery.
* No matter how good you are, sometimes you still need help.
* A password may reveal some self-esteem issues.
* No good deed goes unpunished.
* Maybe it takes a con to beat a con.
* Remember the age when it was cool to be bad? Dumb age.
* Wanting to get caught is kind of a dumb plan.
* You don't need a gun to be dangerous.
* Luck is often worth more than skill.
* You don't always know what you think you know.
* Even good-looking people have problems.
* A lavish party can be an invitation for someone to hack into your computer.
* When you make a friend, you take on a responsibility.
* If you're afraid of the answer, don't ask the question.
* The decisions we make shape our lives.