Pigs get fat, hogs get …

By BECKY NELSON
Bramblings
Pigs get fat. Hogs get slaughtered.” This was the comment made when I asked my husband if he thought we should have another load of Christmas trees cut. This old-timey saying can be interpreted several different ways, but was the perfect analogy when trying to figure out the buying public and the number of trees we might need as we head toward Christmas day.

Greed. We might sell more trees and make more money. But if we went overboard on the initial investment, we might get hurt with remaining inventory. This can be applied to many different scenarios in the news and in our personal lives. Stock market investments by people looking to make a quick buck can actually turn the tables on their money. Greed can lead to criminal and unethical activity. Greed can turn folks against each other as they crave money and trample the more noble human qualities in the pursuit of the dollar.

As we sit in the middle of a season of renowned overindulgence, the statement is poignant. Maybe we should buy fewer gifts and charge less on our credit cards instead of getting slaughtered with a debt load that will haunt us for months or years to come. Maybe we should eat only one cookie instead of four and drink only one drink instead of three. Maybe we should stop elbowing people aside like pigs at the trough in order to reach our goals of wealth and power.

This saying can be taken quite literally as well. Overindulgence can lead to a host of problems. Sedentary lifestyles coupled with overindulgence at the dining room table or the barstool can lead to all kinds of slaughter in our lives … poor health, decline in mobility, lowered self-esteem and depression, problems with alcohol, all sorts of negatives.

Another favorite saying of the commenter that shared these words of wisdom with me is “if you wrestle with pigs, you’re gonna get dirty.” Another cautionary statement aimed at usually political wrestlers working in shady endeavors with shady people. But it can also be applied to our everyday lives and caution ourselves and our kids and loved ones that running with the wrong crowd, dabbling in the wrong pursuits, letting ourselves be sucked into fights and squabbles and disagreements can stain our reputations, our employment, our daily lives. I am especially cognizant of this phrase when thinking of the internet and social media. It is easy to be pulled into making public comments that you will later regret. I know folks who have actually lost their jobs because of social media content, and I know that almost every employer out there these days checks personal media accounts when an applicant is being considered for a job.

Another favorite phrase tossed about by my Mom when I was a kid is “you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.” I am reminded of this phrase as politicians try to cover up their disgraces and nefarious activities. You can’t cover up the crimes, wrongs and unethical or illegal activities and dirty dealings and expect to shine a light of sainthood on yourself. You can’t make a good situation out of a horribly bad situation in most cases. In essence, pay attention to what you are doing, what you are saying, what you are feeling and how you treat others, because it’s awfully hard to backtrack and make things better. It’s easier to keep away from the pig than to wrestle it and carry the dirt around with you for a long time to come from that wrestling match.

Pigs have taken a bum rap in the world of words. But the sayings and the warnings are vivid in these phrases. If you have never seen a pig in a pen or the actions of a pig at a trough, you may have trouble bringing these sayings to a meaningful end, but if, as I have, you have witnessed the actions and lives of a pig, they make perfect sense.

We are about to have another load of trees cut. Maybe not as many as I first suggested. I am very cognizant that pigs get fat and hogs get slaughtered.