“Make Hay while the Sun shines”

Ruth Obe
Ruth Obe
Aug 22, 2017 · 2 min read
Hay rolls in field.

I was really little when I first heard about this proverb and most times it is used to advice one to do what one has to do when there is still time for doing. Nevertheless, I am super excited to know the origin of this proverb in particular.

So while we were driving back from Owensville Missouri to Cuba Missouri after viewing the #solareclipse2017, Dr. Catherine kept throwing some questions at us that are really funny but smart at same time. One of the questions was when we passed at a cemetery and she asked “How many dead people are there at the cemetery“? The smart answer is all of them…lol… Well, maybe that answer does not apply all the time. Another question she asked that got me to write this post was when we passed an opened field with hay rolls, the hay machine and a person operating. So she asked again, “why do you make hay when the sun shines”? A smart answer would be so it could dry up real quick but surprisingly that was not even the answer. The answer she gave was that it is because if wet hay is stored in the barn then it burns down the barn. Wow! Wet hays could burn down a whole barn…incredible

This proverb, its meaning, and origin would mean not only to do what one can do when there is still time, but also would mean to prevent the unwanted from happening i.e. to do the right thing at the right time and in the right way.

While we strive to do what we can do now that we have time, it is important to do it aright so we do not regret at the end and our efforts are not wasted.

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Written by

Ruth Obe

Super Woman | Software Engineer | Tech Enthusiast | Student | Team Player.

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