As productivity lessens in later life, one is sometimes guilty of over-analysis, probing the depths of understanding too far.Been there lately? If not, maybe you’re not old enough, or perhaps you’ve learned to downplay interest in the “I-wonder-whys” of life.This week, my route to productive missions was sidetracked by a proverb dating back 900 years and a Portuguese custom which faded from practice some 300 years ago.I will deal with each topic forthwith, hopeful that you’ll choose other pursuits if neither of them piques your interest.First, the proverb: “No good deed goes unpunished.”Second, the long-abandoned practice in a monastery near ...