According to Phrasemix the old adage, “Don’t count your chickens until they hatch,” means “Your plans might not work out, so don’t start thinking about what you’ll do next after you succeed. Wait until you’ve already succeeded, and then you can think about what to do next.”
I think for me this lesson came into play my eight grade year when I tried out for cheerleader. Based on my skills I was able to make twenty finalist so in my mind I was halfway there. Except that the final competition was based on popular vote.
As I looked at my nineteen competitors, the chances of me getting chosen became less and less. Although, I believed that my classmates liked me, I knew in my heart that there were at least eight girls who were more popular than me.
I remember the day of tryouts getting my hopes up when people confided that they had voted for me. I could almost see my future ninth grade year in all its glory. I was beginning to count my chickens, and even “getting my ducks in a row” as I imagined life as a popular girl.
However, that afternoon when we were called down to the auditorium to learn the results I couldn’t help but notice that the first row of girls was filled with the eventual winners, and I and my second row friends left empty handed that day.
Teaching our children to be prepared for differing outcomes can help them to handle the inevitable disappointments in life. Of course, we don’t want to use the phrase to discourage them either.
It’s just that, although we may have a dozen eggs, that is no guarantee that we will have an equal number of chickens when they are hatched. Life kind of works that way, too.
What are your thoughts, and are you a chicken counter?
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