Æsop’s fable about the grasshopper playing his fiddle all summer long and being denied food in late autumn by the industrious ants, who had toiled all summer to store food for the winter, is a classic. Is it a stretch to say it’s a lesson taught to children that gets embedded into an approach to life that says work first, play later? I think the grasshopper’s approach needs to be reevaluated.
In a college literature class, we studied Beowulf, the epic tale of a hero who slays Grendel, the monster that is terrorizing the local village. Clearly, the monster is the villain and Beowulf is the hero. We also read the lesser-known Grendel, by John Gardner, a work of contemporary fiction. It’s a brilliant retelling of the story from the monster’s perspective. He is just trying to figure out these noisy humans who won’t leave him in peace in his cave. As for Beowulf, Gardner portrays him as less than heroic. It’s a telling retelling because it offers a contrasting perspective. Whether Beowulf is hero or oppressor, and Grendel the villain or victim is worth considering. There is no right or wrong, only different vantage points from which to experience the same story.
Back to the grasshopper. His approach is to enjoy summer. Food is plentiful. Indeed, he plays his music and enjoys life from a perspective of abundance. Meanwhile, the ants toil all summer long in the midst of this abundance. They operate from a perspective of scarcity. Are they enjoying life? I imagine the grasshopper as carefree and joyful, playing his music, singing his song, living in the present moment. I imagine the ants as a bit dour and fearful. They are future-focused in thinking that if they don’t work hard there will not be enough food when winter comes along. Is one way of living better than the other? Is a short life of joy better or worse than a long life of fear? I’m unwilling to pass judgement on either approach. Grasshoppers will be grasshoppers and ants will be ants.
Recognizing the abundance in my life, I start many of my days with a question—How do you want to play today? It took me many years of entrenched ant-mindset conditioning before I embraced the grasshopper’s approach. Winter will always be coming. There is an eternal summer to enjoy.
Featured image “Aesop tells his fables” attribution Johann Michael Wittmer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Thank you, Susanne! I have a poem written many years ago when I was in medical school with the line: “Tomorrow never seems to come when tomorrow is set aside for fun.” I played when I was a kid, then lost that for a long time. Happily I have found it again.
Wonderfully playful approach, Victor. My American family took the ants’ position, valuing work as the most important virtue. I followed right along until retirement and even beyond that. Reading your article, I realize that my attitude has been that doing anything other than work, specifically a job with a paycheck, is “doing nothing.” I didn’t notice how much my family actually played–at least a third of the time. Recently I described my childhood to my Spanish teacher (in Spanish!) and I felt a great sense of loss as I remembered how much fun we used to have playing simple games like hopscotch. Your article has caused a lot of reflection here, and I thank you. For me, it’s clear that “work” needs a redefinition!