While today’s message may seem a little light-hearted, do not be deceived. Behind my jesting manner, there is a note of seriousness that we all need to pay attention to, if this country is to survive.
Back in the 1700s, when a motley bunch of 13 colonies first joined together for the ideals of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness, some could compare this undertaking to the birthing of a new farm animal.
After all, back in those primitive days, most of this country consisted of farmers... with a few shopkeepers, sailors, butchers, bakers, and candle stick makers thrown in for good measure. Things were much simpler back then, obviously.
So, when it came to the matter of creating a new nation, a lot of the wisdom underlying our deliberations could be traced back to the practical experiences of agriculture, horse trading, fence building, blacksmithing, carpentry, and similar occupations.
Imagine, if you will, that this new nation was like a simple egg. What kind of egg? Well, there are chicken eggs, turkey eggs, goose eggs, robin eggs.... many of which would make a rather tasty omelette.
But I digress. In today’s 21st century world, where those 13 colonies have become 50 states, our society is now much more diverse, complicated, and multifaceted than we ever imagined. Nothing is simple anymore.
Take the upcoming presidential election, for example. On the basis of pure numbers alone, it would seem that the current front-runner, former Vice President Joseph Biden, would easily be able to put together a winning coalition of citizens outraged by the present administration, and use that majority to win back the White House.
But, as I said, things aren’t as simple as they once were. So, we’re back to the wisdom of 18th century farmyards once again. And one of the sayings you might have seen in my Poor Richard’s Almanac in those days was, “Don’t count your chickens before they’ve hatched.” In other words, a lot of things can happen between now and November.
There are all sorts of political shenanigans and dirty tricks that could come into play, making Biden’s chances less likely than they might appear today.
So my advice to you is, don’t take anything for granted. Don’t rest for a minute. Keep working as hard as you can to make a difference in the upcoming election. For truly, the fool who counts his chickens before they are hatched will most likely wind up with egg on his face.
Your humble servant,
Ben Franklin