Age-old proverbs in new capsules (1)

All of us have been brought up on proverbs. These are tiny bits of wisdom that have been carried forward from time immemorial and are thoughts that one keeps adding to his super computer so that he can draw on them for inspiration when the time to do so comes.
Many may think that proverbs are irrelevant today but, the basics remain, only, their interpretations might have undergone transformation.
A stitch in time saves nine – take your damaged apparels to the neighborhood tailor to do minor repairs because getting new ones is a costly affair and is gradually going out of our reach. In case of trousers, go for Bermudas – these are quite fashionable and come cheap, cheaper than trousers. Or – when indoors, wrap a lungi around your waist and keep the trousers exclusively for the office use and for use on special occasions.
As you sow so you reap – you may not always get the desired benefit because of unpredictable weather – blame it on global warming. The crops may wither due to delayed monsoons or may get washed away due to flash floods or may be burnt down by people who do not like your facial expressions or your hair style.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy – the Jack of today is an all-rounder, he plays cricket as well as shines in his studies. The players of today are adopted from their cradle and some of them are supposed to play and do nothing else. None of them become dull because all play and no work makes them crorepatis ten times over, especially in cricket.
A burnt child dreads the fire – this is a misconception, he learns how to tame fires quite early in life, hence it does not hold any surprises for him. In some parts of the world they grow up with firearms and bombs. In India, firecracker manufacturers find their profit lines soaring when they entice child labor into their webs.
An apple a day keeps the Doctor away – yes, this can certainly happen but, if all of us started following this practice, the doctors would be out of jobs, their profession would go on the blink. Hence, this is not applicable.
A friend in need is a friend indeed – the days of real friends in the style of the 1964 film Dosti and the 1975 film Sholay are still very much there in Bollywood movies. All our heroes and heroines sacrifice their loves at the drop of a hat. This provides opportunities for sad mournful songs interspersed with show-it-all types of songs in flashback.
All that glitters is not gold – how very right, the metal that glitters today is actually platinum. Gold seems to have lost much of its shine and charms.
A bird in hand is worth two in the bush – for some professions job opportunities are there for their asking. Yes – the software experts. Theirs is a high profile and one of the best paying professions. Job jumping is but second nature to them. They always have more than one bird in hand and are able to keep their employers on tenterhooks.
These are just a few proverbs that come to mind at the moment. The list is a long one from A to Z and I am still in A. Some of these proverbs transcend the barriers of language and equivalents are popular in regional languages. I hope to continue this series for some time.