To support himself Nasrudin took a job rowing a ferry across a particularly dangerous river. One day a famous grammarian came to him for help across the river. The water was higher and more dangerous than usual. “T’ain’t been this bad since before I ever was here ’bouts!” said the Mullah.
The grammarian bristled at Nasrudin’s bad speech. “My good man, have you never learned grammar? Half of your life has been wasted!”
A little later Nasrudin asked his passenger, “Can you swim?” “No. Why?” “Because all of your life has been wasted! The boat is sinking.”