• Aug. 18, 2006
Friday's Fables: Two Fighting Roosters and the Eagle
Two Fighting Roosters and the Eagle
Ronnie Rooster began boasting loudly about all of his many accomplishments. When Rod Rooster overheard Ronnie, he thought I am NOT about to let HIM get the best of me, so he began bragging about the many prestigious accolades he’d received.
Soon the two roosters were battling each other maliciously in the farmyard. They kicked, pecked, and scratched in a flurry of feathers and dust, until Rod cowered back in an empty corner to bandage his wounds.
Ronnie immediately jumped to the highest perch available, and began gleefully boasting, even more loudly than before. Plus, he now had the added accolade of telling all of the farmyard animals about Rod’s demise.
“I am King of the Farmyard now! What a pity how Rod Rooster hides himself in a corner. Behold my greatness!” crowed Ronnie. He strutted back and forth, bobbing his head, and waving his plumes. “I am the greatest rooster ever to set foot in this measly chicken yard. I am the strongest, best-looking, and smartest rooster around. Anybody out there want a piece of me? C’mon! Don’t be cowards!”
Just then an eagle sailed down to snatch Ronnie up. “I’ll take a piece of you!” The eagle smugly said. “I’ve always loved a scrumptious piece of chicken!”
The new king, Rod Rooster, gingerly tiptoed out of the corner, and quietly watched the eagle soar away, with Ronnie in his talons.
MORAL: PRIDE GOES BEFORE A FALL
Stay-at-Home Mom Connection
Have you ever met a Ronnie or Rod Rooster (or should I say, a Haley or Hannah Hen)? You know, the kind of mom that is always seemingly “casually commenting” about her children’s great achievements thus far in life?
In a hushed whisper with several spy-like looks from side-to side, “So sorry to hear your son didn’t do as well as you’d hoped on his standardized math test”. Then, in a louder voice, openly searching for any viable listeners within earshot, “I just hate it when my Joey gets a 99% on his test scores. You know he’s just so used to getting a 100%. It’s just HARD for me to see him so down about it.”
OR
“I’m so sorry your Kate isn’t reading yet. My little Becky just taught herself to read when she was 3, and now that she’s 6, she’s already reading at the high school level. She’s just so gifted that way.”
The next time you hear that, just think, “There’s a “Ronnie Rooster” (or a Hannah Hen) all the way.” Let her hop on her perch and boast, just be careful not to jump in with your own set of bragging rights. The eagle (a.k.a. the Devil) is just waiting to feast on a piece of you, and he always loves tasty chicken, any meal of the day. Don’t be his next meal!
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• Aug. 11, 2006
Friday's Fables: Stay-at-Home Mom Style
The Tortoise and the Eagle
Trudy Tortoise lay in the dirt, complaining to the eagles flying above her. "You flyers have quite the life, don't you? I just don't think it's fair. You're up there floating in the clouds, living high on life, and I'm down here with dust up my nose and rocks under my feet. Oh, how I wish I could fly! If one of you would only teach me, I know life would be just perfect."
Ellie Eagle, hovering nearby crooned, "If I teach you to fly, what's in it for me?"
Trudy said, "I'm rich, and I'll trade half of my gold for your flying lessons."
"It's a deal," shouted Ellie. "Prepare for takeoff!" Ellie said as she hooked her talons onto Trudy's shell and pumped her wings up and down. The pair was high in the sky, far up in the clouds, when Ellie let go of Trudy.
Trudy closed her eyes, savoring the wind whistling in her ears. She excitedly exclaimed, "I'm finally flying!"
"We eagles call that falling," answered Ellie.
Trudy's eyes opened wide with shock as she saw the jagged rocks looming below her. "Landing lessons! I'll give you the rest of my gold for landing lessons!"
MORAL: Be careful what you wish for.
Stay-at-Home Connection
Sometimes I feel like Trudy Tortoise, like I'm at home here, wallowing among the dirt and the muck of cooking and cleaning, while some women I know that work out of the home seem to be flying high. As I'm throwing together lunch for the kiddos and me, I imagine working women having lunch out at my favorite restaurant, talking and laughing, and having adult conversations with fellow friends. I imagine them getting groceries and going to doctor's and dentist's appointments all by themselves, and I feel a little bit like I'm just the tortoise plodding through life in the trenches.
When I begin to have those thoughts, I make myself remember the other side of working women's lives. I say "remember" because I had about 9 months of working as a job-share teacher after my first son was born. Maybe some working women really are flying high with the eagles most days. But, I'd be willing to bet that a good portion of working women that are mothers feel like I did when I was working... and that's guilty. Guilty about not spending enough time with their kids, guilty about not spending enough time with their hubbie, and guilty about how they gave the best of themselves to their jobs instead of their families. Those are NOT soaring feelings.
We might very well be like the tortoise in this fable if we choose to become working women in the hopes of being more "free" like the eagle. Instead of a freeing feeling, I'd venture to say it'd be more like a "falling" feeling with no hope of landing safely in sight. And the gold we have, the riches we have, well they're our children, and they're not worth losing to flying lessons. So, this tortoise is going pick herself up, count her "gold", and leave flying lessons for some other eagle.
