We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.
An alternate version - Ve get too soon old und too late schmart. or, the longer Greek version , from Sophocles, "Of happiness, the crown and chiefest part is wisdom, and respect for God. This is the law, that seeing the stricken heart of pride brought down, we learn when we are old." (It's neat that Greek tragedy can be summarized in one 9-word sentence.)
Or the cowboy version, from "Don't Squat With Your Spurs On", "Good judgement comes from experience, and a lot of experience comes from bad judgement."
The lessons are always the same.