You Have More Than you Think – Turkey’s Revenge
We were poor college students, over 1,600 miles from home, when my wife and I celebrated our first Thanksgiving.
I’ll never forget how proud we felt to host Dave Tricky, a fellow student, and his girlfriend for our first Thanksgiving as a married couple. (Yes, that’s his real name. I soon learned the trick was on me.)
We were becoming ‘real’ adults. My bride was 19. I was 20.
We moved our tiny kitchen table to the larger living room and stationed it uncomfortably close to the front door to accommodate the crowd of four.
After the blessing, I ceremoniously stood as the ‘man’ of the house, blade in hand, ready to carve the bird. It was one of life’s great moments.
But the knife didn’t slice into tender breast meat. It was hard. I poked the blade around. The whole damn turkey was bone. I purchased a BONE TURKEY!
Dave and his girlfriend probably stopped at a fast food joint on their way home. If not for the drumsticks and wings, it would have been perfect for vegetarians.
I carried the bone-bird to our cramped kitchen, defeated, to scavenge any remains. (We could use even sparse leftovers.) I flipped the bird over to find two succulent turkey breasts, staring me in the face.
We cooked the bird upside down!
Lessons from a bone turkey:
- Humble yourself before a turkey humbles you.
- You have more than you think.
- Sometimes a different approach changes everything.
- One day, if you keep learning, you’ll laugh at how ignorant you used to be.
What experiences humble you?
*This post was originally posted on Nov. 22, 2012. Occasionally, I repost it this time of year.
For me, life just keeps dishing opportunities to be humbled, by now you would think I’d “get it.”
As I’ve aged the things that have changed are a little more wingless to say “I messed up” and awareness to draw a lesson rather than a frustration.
Keep pointing us toward humility and gratitude, the meat is there. 🙂
Thanks Ken. Your comment is brief, but meaty. I wonder if the need to impress is less, that makes it’s easier to acknowledge messing up?
As I give thanks for family, friends, and many years of developing working partners with fond memories Mothers comments stay with me. “Love each other, always be humble and kind”!
It seems as we age the lessons are lays there we just need to embrace them in a civil manner.
Thanks Tim. Just aging is humbling. 🙂
Oh Dan but what a memory that is for the two of you. After all is not life making, remembering and celebrating memories.
Thanks Roger. I smile every time I think of it.
At a guess, your father (or grandfather) always carved the turkey when you were growing up. You were never given a chance or even taught how. So another lesson to draw is the value of teaching, mentoring and coaching others so they can be successful the first time they do it on their own.
Thanks Jennifer. I’d been mangling turkeys for years. Finally, I read how to actually do it. I finally, have something to teach. 🙂
Oh, so true. The first time I cooked a turkey, I had no idea bondage was involved – the strangest feeling I’ve ever had cooking
Thanks Dan, for sharing your story. It’s only when we accept our (and others’!) imperfections, we can truly live and give life!
I was the leader that felt he should do the majority of the talking at the meetings – somehow I learned the meetings went much better if I just tossed out questions and allowed people to share their wisdom and insight. It took way too long for me to learn this lesson : )
Love this story! Thanks.
My mother-in-law actually taught me to cook turkey (an any other bird) breast side down because it keeps it moist. Your “mistake” was actually a process improvement, unbeknownst to you at the time.
This is a good anecdote.