Quotes from a Wise Fool

By William Frasca

During my life, seldom did I accept things at face value, so I was always trying to understand why myself and others did the things we did. For the happy and enjoyable days of my life, that were few and far between. I didn’t find the need to expand the search for what caused those events to transpire; on the days where I was challenged and found myself in over my head yet again, I dug deeper to help me find out why I acted poorly or why my choices were not the most popular ones in the history of the world. The early part of my life left quite a bit to be desired and along with a poor beginning came many poor choices that made me unpopular, but they did create excitement for the viewing audience.

Struggling to fit in and being misunderstood are kind of my thing, and those decisions that made others view me as hostile and sometimes unwanted were captured in a series of private thoughts that were both put to paper and others that needed no documentation because they ran on a constant loop through my cavernous mind and gave me a constant reminder of how unpopular one man can become with hardly any effort. 

How complete my examination on my past is not for me to decide. I will leave that to the reader, but I can 100 percent guarantee that this information is factual and, at times, for me, more than a little heartbreaking. This is not an attempt for sympathy, that dream was crushed in my first few years of life, waiting for a kind word or a much-needed hug as a child were things I saw in movies but not in my home. I hope that I have made my vision of these times interesting enough so that you have enjoyed the experience of reading this book enough for it to be worthy of your time. Each of these ideas of mine are shared as quotes and explained in very plain terms, and on occasion, the pain of spending a lifetime of being judged harshly by those who have helped craft this person who has fallen from grace.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 17, 2024
• ISBN: 9798888327616

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Quotes from a Wise Fool

William Frasca

ISBN 979-8-88832-760-9 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88832-761-6 (digital)

Copyright © 2023 by William Frasca

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Quote Number 1

Quote Number 2

Quote Number 3

Quote Number 4

Quote Number 5

Quote Number 6

Quote Number 7

Quote Number 8

Quote Number 9

Quote Number 10

Quote Number 11

Quote Number 12

Quote Number 13

Quote Number 14

Quote Number 15

Quote Number 16

Quote Number 17

Quote Number 18

Quote Number 19

Quote Number 20

Quote Number 21

Quote Number 22

Quote Number 23

Quote Number 24

Quote Number 25

Quote Number 26

Quote Number 27

Quote Number 28

Quote Number 29

Quote Number 30

Quote Number 31

Quote Number 32

Quote Number 33

Quote Number 34

Quote Number 35

Quote Number 36

Quote Number 37

Quote Number 38

This book will contain a number of quotes, my quotes, and each quote will be explained in my words as I see them with a little antidote to reveal how I came to realize these particular ideas.

As you will discover the further down this path you travel, I and the proper application of punctuation and basic sentence structure have nothing in common. I say this to help you understand that my intentions are not to wow any of you with my writing skills, which is good news to my ears but to share my views as I see and feel them in their most natural form. This means that a polished style of writing is not my goal; what is most important is delivering accurately what I believe is the truth. My focus will also be almost entirely on the things that I find troubling about my conduct; when reading this, realize that I have been generous and kind to a good many people, but those actions have not inspired me to question my time spent on this planet. Therefore, I didn't make any notes that made me question those moments of my life.

Focusing on examples of my best behavior has no interest to me, and I feel that through difficult times, we learn our best lessons. You may also pick up on a certain level of contempt for my loving family; much of what they have done to me will not be in this book because that is not currently the topic, but I will be taking shots at them whenever I can squeeze them in. You can bet on it.

This book will not be saving lives or changing the course of history; it is only as the title suggests: Quotes from a Wise Fool, with an emphasis on fool. Let's begin.

Quote Number 1

If your knowledge is solicited then offer it, but no one is pure or accomplished enough to tell others how to live their lives.

Let us first establish that some of my thinking will be unpopular, but this is not by design or self-centeredness, just, simply put, how I see the world and all of us in it—Inspired by a lifetime of listening to others and the many years of navigating my own life. Explaining the best course of action for friends and family on its face seems kind or even noble, but how is it truly constructive to tell others what the next step is by looking at their world through our eyes? We all have done this or perhaps still engage in this behavior. Our priorities are different; our backgrounds are different, life experiences, and on and on, so how then could our solutions be the same? Simply put, they are not, so we need to stop pressuring others to achieve our goals, and we have not even begun to talk about morality or, in most cases, the absence of morality.

In what part of work or parenting are the circumstances exact person-to-person? Do exact circumstances exist in any situation person-to-person? The answer is a big fat no. So here is an idea: if acquaintances are in need of help or appear distressed, ask them if they need help in any way, but do so on their terms with no conditions. This offer can be easily rejected; we are all very private about personal matters, but if the offer is sincere, your success rate will increase dramatically. This is a good thing because if we can't help others, then what purpose are we serving other than acquiring more stuff and massaging our egos?

There is a large number of people who pretend to care about others, but unfortunately, this is only an act. It would probably take less energy to truly care and listen, so it's not about energy expelled; it's about ego. People can really be cruel, and if given the chance, they will show just how cruel they can be. Jealousy can be a real kick in the pants; it prevents us from seeing what is clearly in front of us. It doesn't always show itself in the traditional sense, but make no mistake, it's there just the same.

I have felt that on occasion, in my incredibly average to below average existence, certain people have shown levels of hostility toward things that I have kicked and scratched for; they have treated me poorly because they feel I'm undeserving, which is bizarre because I have nothing that everyone isn't entitled to. I have nothing fabulous or over-the-top, yet there are those who would begrudge me for what little I have. Most, if not all, of the hostility stems from me being a stay-at-home dad for the past decade, and they are working their eight to ten hour days. How I spend my days should have zero impact on any part of their lives, but it seems to be an incredible obstacle for them to overcome. I know this to be true because of the occasional slip of the tongue while drinking; there will be a series of questions or remarks made by their children—remarks that could only occur after listening to their parents discuss and diagnose my life and choices.

I wish I didn't have to give this any thought at all; however, it is a real thing, so I guess I have no choice but to accept it. The thing is, I do not wish for others to fail nor am I jealous of any success they have, and plenty of the people I know are far more accomplished than I; now, I'm not some ra-ra guy who will help pump up someone's image of themselves, but I like seeing them have success. Maybe, there is something fundamentally wrong with me that makes others root against me; who really knows a hundred percent?

Personally for anyone who knows me and feels that I'm undeserving or judgmental, they are grossly misinformed because no one is less impressed with my accomplishments in life than I.

Quote Number 2

If many others feel that you are wrong in word and action, does it make it so?

This particular quote does not originate through some majestic inspiration but through a lifetime of standing alone defending what I feel is justified or right. Justified, what a great word! It seems to contain a certain level of honor or righteousness or perhaps even regal in some way, but let me explain what it really means to most of us. Before I continue, let me just grab my trailer trash handbook. Okay, I have it. Let me just flip to the proper page. Oh, here it is. The meaning of justified is, I can do whatever I want because I said so and I deserve it, and yeah, because… Because—another great word used with children around the world; maybe it's used with children for its dismissive tone which ties in nicely with unreasonable adults trying to get their way at all costs.

We may have experienced conflict or resistance with others at various times in our lives, and along with that comes judgment which can manifest itself publicly or privately. In any case, it stings a little bit because the more you resist or push back, the more it bolsters their argument against you, whether it's deserving or not. People will rally against you if you are repeatedly in the company of those who oppose your views, which is very tiring. But does this mean you are wrong? And should you realign your thoughts and actions? Or does it mean you will never be able to please those individuals? What is so horrible about being wrong? We have equated being wrong with being evil somewhere along the way. If a person is truly proven wrong, then it's the beginning of the conversation, not the end. You reassess and move forward; lighten up and take a breath.

Of course, brushing off ridicule is far more difficult in life than it is with words on a page; however, if we could just try being more understanding of one another then all the other stuff become much easier for all of us. Wouldn't it be great if the same energy used for pointless attacks were shifted toward being helpful and kind?

Quote Number 3

Why is an act of kindness looked upon with question and judgment, but violent behavior, although feared, is much easier understood?

Well, where to begin on this one? Is it necessary to start with what my thoughts on this are when I'm the only one opining?

People act toward others based on their biases and what they believe to be the truth. So when acts of kindness are presented right in front of them or are mentioned by others with firsthand knowledge, they still doubt the act or gesture as a