Dear graduates, there is much more to learn about life

Accomplishing the impossible means only that the boss will add it to your regular duties.

-- Doug Larson

Listen up, graduates. We have more Rules of Life to share.

Tim McLean , of Evans, offers these:

1. If someone offers you a mint or a piece of gum, take it. He might be trying to tell you something.

2. Drive defensively. Always expect the other guy to do something stupid, because he usually will.

3. Try to let the other person in the conversation finish what she is saying. Not only is it courteous, but you might be surprised at what the person has to say. Not every conversation is about you, and not everything is a competition.

4. Read the book of Proverbs. Even if you are not religious, there is a ton of wisdom to be found there.

5. Dot your i's and cross your t's. The people who are in charge of everything got to where they are by making that task a priority. Taking care of the little things usually means that the big things will take care of themselves.

6. Good grammar and spelling are more valuable than you think. Despite what the media tell you, being stupid is not cool.

7. Successful people rarely have visible tattoos.

BLOG ALERT: During the Christmas season of World War II, German prisoners of war held near Augusta escaped not once but twice. Read all about it in my Our Town history blog at blogs.augusta.com.

CALENDAR WATCH: Scott Gay , of Waynesboro, Ga., points out that at five minutes and six seconds after 4 a.m. on July 8 this year, the time and date will be: 04:05:06 on 07/08/09.

SUMMER POSTCARDS: Old friends Rhea Markowitz and Bill Dynan send a card from Athens, Greece. They report: "In the real Athens, surrounded by antiquities. The Acropolis looms over the city -- an awesome sight! There are ruins everywhere, beautiful displays in the subways where they keep finding ancient remains ... as they dug."

Dave and Sally Howard and George and Donna Wicks send greetings from Ireland. There is a hairy mule on the postcard, reportedly a "self-portrait of Dave."

And Jack Carswell sends two cards from lands faraway -- one from Nepal, the "top of the world." The other from the "mystical Himalayas and the country of Bhutan, where according to the tourist ads, national productivity is gauged, not by the gross national product, but the 'gross national happiness.' And the people do seem very happy and friendly."

If you're traveling this summer, I'd be happy if you remember to share a card with the rest of us. Just mail it to The Augusta Chronicle , P.O. Box 1928, Augusta, GA 30903-1928

TODAY'S JOKE: Bill Wood , of Hephzibah, shares this.

As a senior citizen was driving down the freeway, his car phone rang. Answering, he heard his wife's voice urgently warning him, "Dave, I just heard on the news that there's a car going the wrong way on Interstate 20. Please be careful!"

"It's not just one car," said Dave. "It's hundreds of them!"

Reach Bill Kirby at (706) 823-3344 or bill.kirby@augustachronicle.com.