Ever heard the expression, "Never put the cart before the horse"? I have a new one, "Don't gather your eggs until your chores are done." It's been a while since I brought you into my chicken coop. A lot has happened in the last three weeks. On Thanksgiving day, we had our first egg! Perhaps it was because their distant cousin the turkey was being served for dinner???? Coincidence? I wonder???
We've had an egg arrive almost everyday since. Little brown eggs. They taste wonderfully rich and creamy compared to commercially grown eggs. I have to admit that it is a lot more fun to take care of the daily chores associated with raising chickens when you are likely to discover a prize when you get there.
So there I was, all dressed up and ready to head out, but I had yet to let the chickens out to roam for the day. The normal sequence of events is to open the special trap door that let's the birds roam into their larger pen. Refill the water and the food. And then gather up any eggs the team has left for us.
But this time, my eye fell upon an egg that was in an entirely new place; not where the other eggs had been laid. I immediately put the egg in my vest's lower pocket for safe keeping while I did my chores. When I leaned over the anti-frozen pipe protective cover we have on the water faucet, I felt a warm, wet sensation soaking into my clothes. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what happened but here is the rest of the story. Because that egg had not been laid in the usual spot, I had no way of knowing how long that egg had been sitting there. Apparently, it had been there for several days. I know this because it was already putting out a very ripe, rotten smell as it was soaking into my clothes.
This is a lesson that will "stick" with me for a long time to come. It was a great reinforcement for why we need to do our chores before we try to close in on a sale with a prospect or client. The chores I am referring to have to do with asking good questions and then really listening to what our clients have to say. Only after we have a good understanding of where their pain is, are we in a position to offer our services as a means of relieving the pain. With my chickens, I tried to shortcut the process and go for the prize before doing my chores. It's lucky I only ended up with egg on my leg and not on my face.