Advice or opinion or fact

From the time I was little I've heard the phrase that goes, "Give you my two cents worth." Kind of a simple way of saying, "This is what I believe" or "this is my opinion." People today don't have a problem sharing their beliefs or opinions. However is their opinion actually an opinion or advice, and is it factual?

Back when I was attending Asbury Seminary, our neighbor was kind of like a Quaker who described himself as belonging to the Friend religion from out in Kansas. I never did understand the religion, but he was a super nice guy. He said before he and his wife began dating, they went first to a group in the church to ask their opinion, if you will. After they got the church's approval, they began to date with chaperones. Never thought about it before, but going to the church was for advice which was meant to help the newly dating couple in regard to their future relationship. But they went for advice or maybe their opinion.

Facebook is rampant with everyone offering advice or opinions or even beliefs. Some are personal and some are collective, but many, if not most, would like one to believe they are a collective or general fact when they aren't. When someone makes a statement, on Facebook or in just your own personal life, let it run through your mind whether it's an opinion or a piece of advice or a generally believed fact. Most will be opinions and won't be based on fact. Some might even think it's factual when it's just hooey!

One area where this happens is when religion enters the mix. It is really easy to take a scripture out of context and use it in a way that isn't true at all, which makes it one's opinion. One book of the Bible where this is particularly true in is Romans. Paul uses words such as "therefore" or "whereas" or "because" just to mention a few. To understand what Paul means one has to go back before the "therefore" or "whereas" or such and see what he means. Kind of clarifies the whole statement. But if you don't go back and examine the preceding passages, your interpretation could be wrong or biased.

In the past 15 to 20 years, we have raised and fattened six to eight steers and heifers a year to butcher. Most have been Jersey cross, but there have been a few that were different breeds of cattle. Every year our boys get some of the beef, so they have tried a bunch of different breeds of cattle. The boys and Marge and I prefer grain-fattened over grass-fattened. In our opinion it just tastes better. Hands down the Jerseys are more tender. But we are divided as to which tastes better, with two favoring the Jersey and one the other breeds. Boy is this a mix of opinion with some fact added in. Couldn't offer advice. Your tastes are different than ours.

My Uncle Mick who lived up in Cherry County in Nebraska always drove a GMC pickup. I never asked him why, but he must have had good luck with the GMC. Most of those I grew up around seemed to buy Ford pickups. Not sure why. I wonder how many purchased a particular vehicle simply because of the dealership. Many of the people I grew up around would honor an honest, trustworthy square dealer or business. If that honest dealer would follow it up with good service, he'd have repeat business. This is a mix of opinion and fact. Now if I were to tell you that you needed to go shop there simply because it was a good dealership, then that would be advice. It would be my opinion and my advice.

When I write about a tomato or pepper or zucchini we are growing, I try to be as honest as I can be. We grew a tomato this year called Oregon Spring. It wasn't what I was wanting. It is a short determinate tomato only growing at most 3 feet tall. It will produce quite a few 2-inch diameter tomatoes with a good taste in my opinion. I think it would be a great tomato for a container, but this is my opinion. It would also be a great tomato for a northern grower in Nebraska or the Dakotas and such. I'd try it, if you lived in northern climates.

Everything everyone says or writes about, whether they be common everyday individuals or newspaper writers or reporters on TV or Facebook junkies will be offering their advice or their opinion and hopefully expressing facts. Some are expressing a good case of baloney, but that's my opinion. Most who converse along these lines have an ulterior motive or have an agenda. Most do. I have a real problem with these individuals. About a month ago I got a phone call from a guy I kind of knew and my first thought was "what does he want?" I was right because he had an agenda.

If we find enough time to visit, let's visit about the weather or the virus or our families or the Bible or our church or the garden or the coffee. Up where I grew up in Nebraska, most talk eventually got around to horses and cattle. Let's not touch topics like politics unless we agree. Far too many of us get real heated up when discussing politics. We can talk about where the fish are biting in a general way. Don't want to share secret spots. Might even want to shy away from giving advice. Comments are OK if they are given in a good-natured way. Above all, be honest. It helps if we have a cup of coffee and maybe a cookie or two. Maybe a doughnut or apple fritter.

If I was a doctor, which I'm not, I'd write a prescription to everyone to sit down with a friend over coffee (or tea or water or soda), and maybe something sweet and visit. Just visit. No work talk. Just visit.