Question of the week: What advice would you pass along?

By Tom Peterson

Welcome to Question of the Week, a weekly news column that poses timely questions about life, politics, culture, economics, health, and more to people out and about in our communities. Our hope at CCC News is that having this space dedicated to being curious about other people’s experiences can help us to deepen our understanding of people from all walks of life. 

This week's question is: What piece of advice has been given to you that you pass on to others?

Jenette Duarte, 38, The Dalles

We met Jenette at Interpath Lab between blood draws and were immediately drawn to her bubbly attitude.
Duarte said she had received a ton of good advice from workmates, but she landed on this gem.

“When something goes wrong, you can stay mad and be unhappy or you can accept it, say oh well, and move along to better things. What’s the point of getting hung up on it. Just learn from it and keep moving.”

Roni Wolford, 61, The Dalles

Roni is a true spark at Interpath Laboratory. She did not shy away from this question.

“You have to pay it forward. If someone is having a hard time, I go and find a bunch of jokes online and send them to them. I don’t send a sorry card to the spouse of someone that has died and just sign my name. I always write something positive about the person that passed. People remember that,” she said, noting she sent her aunt a card about her uncle and his plane when he died. Her aunt still brings it up. “Find a way to say something good or go online and see what somebody else says and steal it. The best way to bring somebody joy is to pass along a good joke,” she said.

Thanks for the steady hands on the blood draw Roni!

David Brecht, 58, Parkdale

The maintenance manager with Hattenhauer Distributing was happy to lay this one on us.

“Don’t eat anything bigger than your head,” he said.

And on the more serious side, “Don’t buy a car unless you can afford it. I just had a conversation with a friend who could not afford to buy a house and he was going buy a new car. Buying that car might prevent you from eventually owning that house.”

Cameron Sorensen, 17, The Dalles

“You can’t go down any farther than when you’re at rock bottom,” he said, noting it was a positive way of looking at a bad situation and seeing that only positive gains can be made when people are feeling their lowest.

Maurice Hayes, 39, Portland

Hayes, while on lunch break from the Department of Human Services on Klindt Drive, took the time to chat with us.

“Be kind to others because kindness is the root of compassion, and compassion is essential to coexisting with other people,” he said.

Joseph Koonce, 40, Underwood via Hood River

“Verify for yourself any advice you’re given,” he said. “I was just telling my ex-wife this. Nobody knows everything and nobody is perfect, period.”

Joli Kirk, 49, The Dalles

We found Joli working hard to break up the ice at this parking lot on West Sixth Street.

She gave us three bits of advice for the price of one between cracking ice. Thanks, Joli.
”I would say always strive to give more than you get and have a grateful heart and treat others as you would want to be treated,” she said.

Well, that’s it for now. And it always astounds us how people are so fresh and thoughtful in their thinking when we catch them off guard.

Maybe next week it will be you in this column. We hope so. It makes our week!

And a bit of parting advice: Everything is new, everything. If you don’t think so you will miss something good and interesting - be it a new friend or how to wax your shovel to keep the snow from sticking to it. It’s attitudes that get old.