The Ant and the Grasshopper is one of the more popular of Aesop’s fables. It’s main theme is to not put off to tomorrow what can be done today.
We experienced the grasshopper side of that fable here at the Clapp household this winter.
Every 4-5 years in our area, we get a winter that is colder and brings more snow. To the locals this is a bad winter. This has been one of our bad winters here in Iowa. We’ve had several heavy snowfalls, followed by balmier weather that melts the snow, followed by freezing temperatures. The snow falls, then melts, then the water freezes. Then it snows again.
Our problem here in the Clapp household is that we didn’t always clear snow when we should have. Then, when it warmed up, we could have been working to clear the driveway and sidewalks to make sure the sun dried them up nicely, like many of our neighbors, but we didn’t. Then when temperatures dropped, well, even the ants would have been nestled safely, quietly and warmly in their homes when it’s in the 20’s below.
After the cycle continued several times, we find ourselves in a real mess.
This weekend, we couldn’t get in the driveway. We hadn’t cleared enough at the end of the driveway, and our turn into our driveway is already a tight one, so it wasn’t going to work. We had to park on the road.
The result is that we have even more work chopping and scraping (and sliding) now than we would have if we just cleared the snow in the first place when it fell.
I’m pretty sure that we in the Clapp household have learned our lesson from this. I hope though, that it’s not limited to just snow removal. The lesson from the ant and the grasshopper applies to so many areas of life.
- studying and doing homework regularly rather than just cramming the night before is proven to be the better way.
- Preparing meals in advance can pay dividends for a busy household
- Scheduling bill payments at once in advance reduces the chance for late fees and interest if you forget.
- Starting the report or presentation for work as soon as you can and refining and editing makes for a higher quality product.
- Starting to save for retirement early pays major dividends in the end
The examples are almost endless.
I don’t know that everyone has this ant/grasshopper problem. For some it might not be snow removal, but a different area.
Can you identify an area of life where you’re more like the grasshopper than the ant? If not, and you’re the successful ant, what’s your secret? Leave a comment and let me know either way.
Image credit: pixabay.com