I learned a lesson through today’s Facebook follies. Ask questions, look for answers and be careful whom you quote!
Reading memes that my friends post now takes the place of reading newspaper headlines. Sometimes they are just as snarky, and about as reliable, anyway.
But I loved the gentle quote The Garden of Bright Images posted just morning:
“Getting old is like climbing a mountain; you get a little out of breath, but the view is much better!”
A true truth I declared to myself as I passed it along.
Today’s Lesson
I thought Ingrid Bergman said it, and so completely misread the attribution on the meme that the Garden of Bright Images created. I knew what I had read – or thought I did — confidently reading her name instead of what the meme said: Ingmar Bergman.
Then I waxed euphoric about Ingrid, until a few friends on Facebook pointed out my blunder.
A Possible Blog Topic?
You know, I checked the quote, because I was going to incorporate it in a blog piece about misattribution: an example of how easy it is to not just make mistakes on social media, but pass them on!
Well, guess what?
According to GOOD Reads, Ms Bergman did observe this attribute of aging! The Garden of Bright Images got it wrong!(?)
I let them know – but chances are we all have gotten it wrong, and Florence Nightingale really said it.
But I don’t think she was a mountain climber, for all her achievements.
After all, didn’t Abraham Lincoln warn, “Don’t believe everything you read on the Internet just because there’s a picture with a quote next to it.”
Lesson learned, Abe!
A girl needs to read carefully today’s lesson taught me, and she needs to check and maybe double check, huh? Just goggling a question can get some interesting answers. (I got further confirmations of Ms. Bergman’s quote.)
Passing along even fun uncorroborated morsels, a girl can run amuck.
A cruel story runs on wheels, and every hand oils the wheels as they run. ~ Ouida
The first gossip occurred between Eve and the Devil. ~ James Lendall Basford, Seven Seventy Seven Sensations, 1897
Wow, you dug a lot deeper than I would have thought to do! Upon reflection, that quote certainly does sound more likely to have come from Ingrid than from Ingmar. In any case, it is a good quote, and I am glad you shared it. And even gladder (if that’s a word) for this follow-up that has reminded me to check sources!
So much “news”/opinions pummels — and it is so easy to get my knickers in a wad before I realize, wait, is that even possible . . . Thank you for ready, friend!