Insquirrelational Adages #4

“Take time to stop and smell the squirrels.”

Smell squirrels? That sounds crazy right? I’m sure most everyone remembers this quote as referring to smelling roses. Well it does make more sense, which is why this particular cliché evolved. However, back in the day, when a youngster was running around and too distracted to enjoy life they’d be told to, “take time to stop and smell the squirrels.” This phrase came about because a young lad was running to work one day, with his head buried in his history book. Being so distracted he ran straight into an old witch that quite possibly was of foreign decent or drunk. This unfortunate collision caused the mean, old lady to drop her bundle of snake skins and toad livers that she’d just purchased. Apparently, frustrated by the boy’s mistake she cursed him by saying: “haik slim chu swap rand fell duh deferral.” The boy being innocent and naïve thought that the escaped mental patient had just bestowed a great wisdom upon him and he did slow down and with enthusiasm enjoyed the pace of life.