The Poky Little Puppy Vs Elon Musk
Haste makes waste
As a small child, I had a particular fondness for the Little Golden Book The Poky Little Puppy.
When I was about 4, I had outpatient surgery for a cyst on my eyelid. As a reward for my bravery, my parents gave me a very large lollipop and the vinyl record of Willie the Whistling Giraffe, with The Poky Little Puppy on the B Side.
More than 60 years later, I can still recall these lyrics from the song:
With a smile on his face, he says,
“Haste makes waste!
You have to stop, look, and learn as you go.”
Yes, the Poky Little Puppy,
He’s the smartest little puppy I know.
The Poky Little Puppy certainly didn’t originate the saying “Haste makes waste,” which dates in print back to the 1500’s, and in concept to ancient times.
Proverbs 19:2 is another reference. Although I grew up with the King James Version, I like the New Living Translation for its clarity: “Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good; haste makes mistakes.”
It occurs to me that if, for example, enthusiastic efficiency experts were to examine my family’s grocery expenses, without knowledge of our specific situation, they would immediately see waste, and obvious cuts that should be made.
But the fact is, my husband has celiac disease. He needs to eat a gluten-free diet, and gluten-free foods are significantly more expensive. The additional cost is not a waste; it is a necessity.
“Haste makes waste.
You have to stop, look, and learn as you go.”
If you stop, look, and learn as you go, you might avoid mistakes like firing nuclear safety workers because you didn’t understand what they do and why it matters. Not to mention the time and expense of trying to locate those terminated employees so you can rehire them.
And that’s just one example.
As they search for governmental waste, is it too much to expect Elon Musk and his DOGE minions to meet the standards set by The Poky Little Puppy?