I am always enthralled when the newspaper, The Epoch Times, includes a feature called “Dear Next Generation.” Readers submit points of wisdom for those of us who are still coming along and recently a certain George F. Metzgar offered seven good points of advice.
I Googled George Metzgar to learn he is most probably 90 years old and lives in Brewster, Mass. In his advice to younger people I noticed his love for the Marine Corps, which would place him in the World War II era – a time in our nation’s history that wasn’t easy.
But the points he makes are simple and as we celebrate graduations and the end of the school year, let’s lend an ear to Mr.
Metzgar:
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YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT OPPORTUNITIES WIL ARISE, OR WHEN THEY WILL. DO YOU BEST EVERY TIME.
He writes, “Born in the 1930s, I have lived and learned wisdom over the decades. I pass on these seven sensible suggestions as advice to young people:”
1. BEST—Always do your best. When I was a freshman in college, gym (which I disliked) was mandatory. The instructor had us line up and run the length of the gym at full sprint. As the “winner” by a few strides, I was asked to go out for track. I made the team as a walk-on and was put on full scholarship at the Division I university. (I held the indoor scholarship record for 14 years.)
2. DISPUTES—Always listen to both sides of an issue and never try to silence the opposing view nor interrupt. Present your statements of facts and then your statements of opinions. Rudeness has no place in disputes.
3. DRIVING—Young people pay higher auto insurance rates because they have more accidents. Drive as though being followed by a police cruiser, always. Speeding is a waste of your money.
4. GOVERNMENT—Government is a system of fair rule, not for freebie handouts. Why try to enslave other taxpayers to pay for your wants? Ask not what else the government can do for you, but what you should do for yourself.
5. GRATITUDE—When the recipient of a gift, always thank the benevolent donor. A prompt written note of appreciation is best and always appropriate.
6. OPPORTUNITY—Most opportunities have a short “window” and often present themselves unexpectedly. At lunch during my senior year of college, a fellow student informed me the military recruiter was on campus and suggested I “hear him out.” On my way to a 2 p.m. class, I stopped, took and passed the (Officer Candidate School test), signed on, and made the class on time! (The years in the [Marine Corps] were the high point of my career life.)
7. RELIABILITY—Dependability is paramount in life. When my daughter graduated from college with a BSN, she applied to be an Air Force nurse. … The recruiter said she got accepted by virtue of one sentence from a manager of a grocery store where she worked part-time: “This worker never once called off, nor didn’t show up for her shift in 6 years.” (She retired as a lieutenant colonel.)
-- George F. Metzgar
Age 90, Brewster, Mass.
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What advice would you like to give to the younger generations?
The Epoch Times calls on all of our readers to share the timeless values that define right and wrong and pass the torch, if you will, through your wisdom and hard-earned experience. We feel that the passing down of this wisdom has diminished over time and that only with a strong moral foundation can future generations thrive.
Send your advice, along with your full name, state, and contact information to NextGeneration@epochtimes.com or mail it to: Next Generation, The Epoch Times, 229 W. 28th St., Floor 7, New York, NY 10001
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