Aesop said, “Plodding wins the race.”
Plod.
I always give the definition, it seems. Here I go again:
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plod | pläd |
verb (plods, plodding, plodded)
• walk doggedly and slowly with heavy steps
• work slowly and perseveringly at a dull task
noun
• a slow, heavy walk
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I am guessing old Aesop was talking about plodding when he came up with one of his most famous stories. That rabbit. That turtle.
Of course, we know how it goes. The hare was making fun of the tortoise for being slow.
So the tortoise said, “Let’s race. Vrrrroooom.”
The hare laughed.
They raced.
The turtle won.
The turtle plodded along.
I’m not a plodder. I’m a bit on the Type A side of things. I go fast. And then I sleep. Like the rabbit.
I wonder if Aesop was a plodder. He is believed to have been born around 600 BC and to have died around 560 BC.
During that time, he wrote a slew of fables. Well. Maybe. Some scholars point out that Sumerian proverbs often had the same structure and story as Aesop’s fables. So maybe he wrote his fables, maybe he didn’t. Regardless, we have the stories today.
But one thing is most likely a fact. Aesop was a slave. Apparently, he was owned by two masters during his lifetime, one right after the next. His second master supposedly let him go because he was so intelligent and witty.
If you notice, I say “supposedly” a lot with Aesop. It is because 600 BC is a long time ago, so facts can be hard to come by.
However, most historians agree on this. — he had physical deformities. He is described in several texts as being an “ugly, deformed dwarf.” His bust, which resides with the art collection at the Villa Albani in Rome, shows these things. He also stuttered, which isn’t so great for a storyteller.
He didn’t live very long. Murder will do that to a guy. After earning his freedom from slavery, his chatter upset some folks. A few people didn’t care for his wit, stories, and opinions. Specifically? He made the mistake of openly criticizing the priests at Delphi. That made them mad. And so they killed him.
But nowhere in the written history of Aesop tells us if he was a plodding turtle or a racing rabbit.
I’m guessing he plodded. I just don’t picture this guy darting about.
As far as which characteristic is better, to plod or to go quickly? I think it depends on the task.
It might be better to plod along if we are working on an intricate needlepoint. On the other hand, if we are walking barefoot across hot coals, it is probably advantageous to hurry along.
Whatever our task might be, we probably know, in our heart of hearts, what works best for us in each situation.
Today, plod or hurry. Whatever it takes.
”””’
Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity.
— Henry Van Dyke
”””’
Let thy step be slow and steady, that thou stumble not.
— Tokugawa Ieyasu
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Wisely, and slow. They stumble that run fast.
— William Shakespeare
”””’
Slow. Steady. Plodder.
