What did you mean by that? Being clear often involves being asked to clarify.

"You never know"




I played fast pitch softball with a very good player who anchored our infield at third base, while I did my best to hold the fort at second.

He regularly would holler "you never know" as a way of keeping team mates on their toes. It was rapid fire chatter, almost one word; "yenevrno, guys." To him it meant, "be ready, the ball may be coming your way."

I never thought of it as an expression that meant anything else, not in the sporting world at least.

I found myself saying the phrase from the sidelines coaching my basketball games one season.

One of my captains pulled me aside after a game and asked if I could please stop saying "you never know" during the games.

I asked her why she was so bothered by it.

To me it meant "be ready, stay on your toes."

Not to her.

To her it meant " You never know - we may get lucky and actually win." To her it was a negative phrase.


I worked in Hope as a temporary social worker with a permanent social worker who told me the story of her 13 year old boy who had spent the weekend with his father, the dad who wasn't around much.

He had come back from a terrible time with dad. After a long tale of misery and woe, mom said to him "i can really appreciate how you feel right now." she had lived with him long enough to know just how awful a week with him could become.

To her it was the most empathic, correct and understanding thing she could say to another human being who had undergone a tough experience.

The boy bolted from the house and was gone for two days.

By the time she tracked him down he was adamant he was not returning home.

Why not?

Because mom had told him she was glad that he had such a terrible time with dad, that she was glad he had been so poorly treated by him. How could he live with such a heartless b*tch?

Needless to say it took a bit of education to teach the boy what "appreciate" truly meant.

***
Tonight I heard some bad news about a good man. Despite a life of fairness, decency, kindness and service, of athleticism and health, a friend has had a major bit of terrible news about his health, news that could prove to be devastating.

It doesn't make sense.

It's not fair.

You never know.

Thanks to one of the finest Smiths ever - for the cold beer at the end of a long dreary weekend...

Here are the Smiths : "How soon is Now?"

"When you say it's gonna happen now,
Well, when exactly do you mean?
See I've already waited too long ..."

you never know



ni nigh