Nelson's Way

Hello. My name is Tom and I will be taking over the blog for the next few weeks. Nick is happy is his new home and sends everyone his best. I will try to post pictures of him every now and then to let you see how he is doing. We are getting ready for next year but for the next few post, I will be sharing some humor and wisdom from my father.




Nelson’s stuff– A collection of comments and rephrasing from the smartest man I ever knew.


'And now the old man's gone, and I'd give all I own
To hear what he said when I wasn't listening
To my old man'
-Steve Goodman “My Old Man”, 1977



It has been a year since my father passed away. Like most sons, I never really thought it could happen. I knew it would happen, I just never thought about it. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of him. When things aren’t going well, things he said pop into my head. When things are going well, things he said pop into my head. This is my way of coping with the loss of my best friend and remembering what people in my home town call “Nelsonisms”. Some he invented, some he repeated, some he rephrased, but all have had a profound influence on me. I hope you enjoy the wit and witticisms of my father, Nelson Robertson.


"Life is like a roll of toilet paper, the closer you get to the end, the quicker it goes."


"The last pair of pants I’ll wear won’t even need pockets."

"I will accept you couldn’t, I won’t accept you didn’t."

"Don’t fight with an old man; we don’t have anything to lose."

"When things aren't going well, remember, this too shall pass.  When things are going well, remember,  this too shall  pass.  Things will always change.  Be ready for it."