Philadelphia, PA…Our Favorite Founding Father is Ben Franklin. He didn’t just help found our country during the 1776 era.   For two generations before he helped sell concepts of Freedom, Self-Determination & Inalienable rights. From 1733 to 1758 Poor Richards Almanac helped create the unique American identity in a homey, common sense, aspirational way. A few Bits of Wisdom from 1735…

1735
Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.
Nothing but Money, Is Sweeter than Honey.
Are you angry that others disappoint you? remember you cannot depend upon yourself.
Bad Commentators spoil the best of books,
Approve not of him who commends all you say.
The King’s cheese is half wasted in parings; but no matter, ’tis made of the peoples milk.
By diligence and patience, the mouse bit in two the cable.
Full of courtesie, full of craft.
Keep thy shop, & thy shop will keep thee.
Look before, or you’ll find yourself behind.
Necessity never made a good bargain.
Be slow in chusing a Friend, slower in changing.
A little House well fill’d, a little Field well till’d, and a little Wife well will’d, are great Riches.
The poor man must walk to get meat for his stomach, the rich man to get a stomach to his meat.
Three may keep a Secret, if two of them are dead.
The Family of Fools is ancient.
If Pride leads the Van, Beggary brings up the Rear.
There’s many witty men whose brains can’t fill their bellies.
Weighty Questions ask for deliberate Answers.
Pain wastes the Body, Pleasures the Understanding.
The cunning man steals a horse, the wise man lets him alone.
Humility makes great men twice honourable.
Of learned Fools I have seen ten times ten, Of unlearned wise men I have seen a hundred.
Poverty wants some things, Luxury many things, Avarice all things.
A lie stands on 1 leg, the Truth on 2.
What’s given shines, What’s receiv’d is rusty.
Sloth and Silence are a Fool’s Virtues.
There’s small Revenge in Words, but Words may be greatly revenged.
A man is never so ridiculous by those Qualities that are his own as by those that he affects to have.
Deny Self for Self’s sake.
Ever since Follies have pleas’d, Fools have been able to divert.
It is better to take many Injuries than to give one.
Opportunity is the great Bawd.
To be humble to Superiors is Duty, to Equals Courtesy, to Inferiors Nobleness.
Here comes the Orator! with his Flood of Words, and his Drop of Reason.
If what most men admire, they would despise, ‘Twould look as if mankind were growing wise.
The Sun never repents of the good he does, nor does he ever demand a recompence.
An old young man, will be a young old man.
Eyes and Priests Bear no Jests.
Some are weatherwise, some are otherwise.
One Mend-fault is worth two Findfaults, but one Findfault is better than two Makefaults.
So God sends meat (they say) the devil Cooks.