There is a saying about how the early bird catches the worm. But if that is true, what does the early worm catch? His last meal before the early bird shows up? I was thinking about this today while driving in to work after a cold night. Winter decided to show its frosty head one more time this year. And it caught some “early birds” by surprise.
It’s been a pretty mild winter in Georgia. By the end of February we were getting warm days and comfortable nights. Spring seemed to be coming early. Some of the trees were getting a head start. Flowering pear trees, red buds, wisteria and azalias were popping out their beautiful flowers, beconing the sun and pollinators to give them full attention. They were the “early birds” of the plant world, and this year, they were thoroughly trounced by old man Winter. Last night’s 25 degree frost shrivaled leaves and flowers like a styrofoam cup in a camp fire.
All this demonstrates one thing to me. Being the early bird is not always a good thing. While there can be benifit in being the early bird, there is also risk. We may think we will get ahead by being the first, but it’s not always the case. Sometimes, we wind up being the worm.