"A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."
- Ancient Proverb
This proverb has origins in medieval falconing, and I actually believe that the original meaning may be slightly different than what the idiom or proverb has actually come to mean in modern times.
According to many sources, the modern day saying is understood to mean be happy with what you have, and don't attempt to go for something else, lest you don't get it. It's better to stick with something you have that is a sure thing, than to risk it for something greater that you may not get [1]. The bird in your hand is worth more than two birds in the bush that you may not even get. If we applied this to falconing, though, which was used as both hunting and sport by nobility, it seems to have a different meaning, at least to me.
Falcons were hunting birds, and they were very valuable. These birds were trained to hunt and come back to the falconer. A bird in hand is the falcon on your wrist, similar to a trained hunting dog, only instead of tracking, it killed for you, as well. This bird was worth two in the bush, because falcons and hawks hunted small mammals as well as other birds. They were valuable because they were hunting companions. The predator bird was worth two prey birds in the bush, if you don't kill it, I've read. This reminds you almost of the phrase about killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. Or, as the Bible says: "A living dog is better than a dead lion." (Ecclesiastes 9:4)
As with not wanting to kill the golden goose, which is the source of your gold, you don't want to strangle the bird in hand, as it is potentially a source of continued nourishment.[2] The proverb, to me, speaks more of gratitude. Being grateful for what you have and valuing that, instead of looking at what you may not have, or could obtain. The bird in hand is a source of future nourishment. It's worth far more than two in the bush, because it brings with it the potential for unlimited future harvest. To me, personally, I take this phrase to mean more so: be grateful for what you have, because it is much more valuable than what you are lacking or may be seeking. In other words, using what you already have efficiently can yield an even bigger return of investment, if you will.
This phrase has been pressing upon my mind since spring, when we hatched a baby chick and were handling it. I ended up looking up the actual meaning, and it has become a phrase I use with my daughter, to remind her to focus on what we have and tend to that, before asking for something else.[3] Tend to the chickens in the yard, that you have, instead of wanting more eggs to hatch, that you could have. It's somewhat of a twist on the phrase, but "bird in hand" has become my current catch phrase.
For this year's reunion, as I was putting together our family history with Richard Parker, our patriarch, I utilized this phrase when deciding to use what we had before us, as far as old photographs and things, to make the most of what we have. Also, to accept that it was a smaller attendance year, but we should be grateful for those that were able to make it.
In Richard's family history book, he references nicknames and how it is somewhat of a tradition in the family to bestow them. At the pre-bash on Friday, July 19 I conveyed the story of my husband's birth to Richard because I figured he'd get a kick out of it. My husband was born in a 1973 Chevy Vega in 1978...going up Ninth Street Philipsburg, no less! This has always been something we got a kick out of, ourselves. What are the odds? As he was leaving on this night, Richard dubbed my husband, Joe Hoover, "Vega" while bidding farewell. A fitting nickname for a fitting coincidence.
Afterwards, during the main event this year on, Saturday, July 20, Richard was reminiscing once again about nicknames, which he mentions in his book. He was asking people if they had any nicknames, and then revealed his own nickname when he was younger, which he did not reveal in his book. He said they referred to him as "The Bird" because of his being a fan of the jazz saxophonist Charlie "Bird" Parker. Isn't that funny?
Additionally, the name "Vega" in Arabic translates to "swooping eagle." Another fitting coincidence. Isn't that funny? Bird in hand, y'all.
- Cousin Missie
Sources:
1. Merriam-Webster. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster.
2. Neal Burton. Is a Bird in the Hand Worth Two in the Bush? | Psychology Today: Psychology Today; 2024.
