FineLine Antiques

Never Say “Die,” Say “Damn!”

It isn’t classic, It may be profane,

But we mortals have need of it time and again,

And you’ll find you’ll recover from Fate’s hardest Slam,

If you never say “Die,” Say “Damn!”

Maurine Hathaway

Ca. 1920s

Isn’t this just the best saying?

Basically it says don’t give up, even though we may be frustrated or angry or even sad, we must never give up. In a clever turn of words, this phrase allows us to acknowledge our emotions and to indulge in them a moment by suggesting we curse at them. But never does it suggest giving in to those emotions; in fact it is cheering us on to overcome them.

I struggle daily in trying to be a good mom. Being a good mom is not a passive activity, particularly when parenting smart, opinionated, volatile and fast-moving kids. I need to have done the research, done the thinking (gotta be able to outsmart this fresh brains), be able to control my own emotions to keep things from getting out of control and be able to move fast to catch that errant ball that is rocketing toward the plate glass window.

But some days, I just am too tired and cannot muster up the energy to do what it takes to be that good mom. That’s where these little motto prints come in! I have them hanging in a powder room on the first floor of my house. I step in the powder room for a moment, take a look at these, take a deep breath, and mutter “Damn! “ (and maybe a few other choice words) and stomp my feet. I then re-emerge with a fresh attitude and strength to go on. I liken it to my Superman telephone booth.

As you may know I love all things antique and vintage (except my grayhairs!). I have been collecting these motto prints for several years. The first one I found it the one that is just words and border without any real graphics. I found this at a garage sale with my friend Michelle. I paid $1 and was hooked immediately and started hunting for more. They are rather hard to come by though and are usually more expensive that I can really justify (one of the signs of motherhood is never having any money for myself as it all goes to kids activities – they both play hockey!).

I believe the second one I found was the one of the little boy hanging from a tree by his shorts while picking apples. I found this one while at Round Top in Texas. I paid more that I really wanted; I think I paid close to $50. Gulp! But I thought the graphics on this one were so well paired with the saying.

The rest I found on ebay at various times and they were cheaper than the Apple one but definitely more that my first one. I am still hunting for more of these…. Never say die, right? Perhaps I will update the blog when I find a new one.

So, when things get tough today, and they will, remember,

“Never Say “Die,” Say “Damn!”