By Jan Penton-Miller
Columnist
This was one of those mornings when nothing and everything seemed to call for my
attention. The plants needed watering; laundry needed folding, and on and on the
morning went until I finally said enough already. It’s time to get to the important things I
need to do today.
When I sat down to write my column (which was one of the more important things on my
list) I realized how vital it is to stay with something and not get distracted. I’m reminded
of one of Aesop’s Fables, The Tortoise and the Hare.
This fable is credited to Aesop, a slave and storyteller, who is believed to have lived in
ancient Greece between 620 and 564 BC. The fables were originally passed down in
oral form. They were only written about three centuries after Aesop’s death. When
printing began collections of Aesop’s fables were some of the earliest books in a variety
of languages.
In this fable the egotistical hare challenges the tortoise to a race. The hare was so far
ahead he decided to take a nap, but the tortoise plodded on. The self-assured hare
discounted the tortoise, but in the end the tortoise crossed the finish line first.
There are many ways to interpret this fable, but the way I see it is slow and steady wins
the race. When I set a goal for myself and don’t see quick progress the tendency might
be to give up trying. But what a mistake that would have been for many, many people.
Colonel Harland Sanders left school in the seventh grade and had a poor track record
until the age of 40. He finally settled down and opened a small restaurant in the
apartment next to the gas station where he worked. When he was 62 he opened his first
Kentucky Fried Chicken, and the rest is history.
Julia Child couldn’t cook when she graduated college. She worked in advertising and
later in government intelligence. During the course of her life she fell in love with French
cuisine and started trying French recipes. She wrote her first cookbook at the age of 50
and became one of the top French chefs in the world. Julia Child became the first
woman to be inducted in the Culinary Institute Hall of Fame.
Laura Ingalls Wilder was a seamstress who quit school at sixteen. She started writing in
her forties, but it took her twenty years to finally write “Little House in the Big Woods”
which catapulted her to popularity.
Grandma Moses attended a one-room school for a brief period of time. When she was in
her 60s she started painting. Her work was not noticed for ten years, but her paintings
grace the halls of the Smithsonian American Art Museum as well as other notable
museums. She produced close to 1500 pieces before she passed at the age of 101.
Ever want to give up on a dream? Remember these folks and keep on keeping on.