Click here to hear Jim’s 3-minute Red Diary: https://youtu.be/SFvunLJBTEc 

or read his story  below:

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Life, actually…

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BEST ADVICE ARCHIVED FOR LATER CONSIDERATION

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My high school science teacher Mrs. Ingram once gave me some good advice.

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“Never put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear.”

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This happened a way long time ago. You know, back before the Earth was round.

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I have studiously followed Mrs. Ingram’s advice all these years. I am proud to say I’ve not once been taken to the ER with something big stuck in my ear.

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As to all the other wise and useful advice I have received from scores of well-meaning people, I’m not proud to report that I have blithely ignored and rejected most of it.

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This not the fault of all those who generously took the time to mind my own business. This is merely a stubborn lifelong resistance I have to all attempts to change my behavior.

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Don’t get me wrong. Had I followed even an iota of this advice I’d probably be healthier, richer, wiser, kinder…

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But my contrarian nature generally holds me back from following other people’s guidelines.

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As I navigate these many years of living my own life my own way, I do notice a mellowing. I actually accept advice more frequently these days.

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For instance, someone once quipped, “Never drive under ten miles an hour on an interstate highway.” That sounds solid enough. I’ll consider it.

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I’ll stop trying to be cute at this point.

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I truly appreciate all the life lessons I have learned and  continue to follow, the tutorials that keep me suspiring and aspiring and perspiring.

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I appreciate the dozens of good examples set by family and acquaintances, many demonstrations of how to do this without suffering horrifying consequences, when to do the right thing, when not to do the wrong thing.

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The thing that annoys me is the fact that there are so many ways those who encounter me have helped me…and I have seldom thanked them! How come I am becoming sensitive and kindly so far down the road?

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I should have thanked these unpaid advisors. I could have hugged them more. I might have listened more. I wish I could look each of them in the eye and really experience them. I wish I could tell them what they continue to mean to me.

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Since these denizens of life’s better moments are long gone away, all I can do is follow my own advice and hope that you who are paying attention can take something good from these words.

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The best advice I can take from this day forth is my own advice: Do the good deed now. There will never be another good deed moment exactly like this good deed moment.

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Eat the chocolate chip cookie right away.

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Thank and appreciate all sincere advisors in the moment. Regardless of whether the advice is helpful or useless, remember to appreciate the intent.

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If it is well-meant it is worthy of thanks.

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And do spread Mrs. Ingram’s words when you can. Each ear saved causes the world to listen a little better

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© 2026 A.D. by Jim Reed