Only if you know which saying I'm paraphrasing in the first place.
In my family, especially from my Grandma Wyatt, it was just as common to hear, "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride," as it was to hear, "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." (That is still, by the way, my favorite of all the Geico commercials. I mean, it's like Antique Roadshow for goodness sakes.) Sometimes it'd just be shortened to the first half of the statement; you fill in the rest.
When I first said that to my husband, he looked at me like I had two heads. In the foothills of western Pennsylvania, proverbs like that are commonplace. In Webster, NY (a suburb of Rochester), not so much.
I had to explain the concept. It makes perfect sense if you think it through. If hoping and wanting for something were all you had to do to make it yours, everyone would have exactly what they desired and dreamed without trying.
As much as I love the saying, and when I was thinking of what to call my blog, I knew "If Wishes Were Horses" just wouldn't do for me. It would suggest I were a horse person, which would be misleading. I've ridden, but I honestly know very little about horses.
But since I love hockey so much and planned to make my team integral to my blog, "If Wishes Were Penguins" fit perfectly.
When I was a teenager and my Grandma Wyatt would ask me what I wanted for Christmas, I told her "anything Penguins." Since she wasn't necessarily in a hockey state of mind, I would often get stuffed animals, penguin emblazoned porcelain plates, and bird-shaped ornaments. The bird and the team became interchangeable for me.
Additionally, the style of hockey that the Pittsburgh Penguins play embodies idea of this proverb--that you work hard and reap the benefits. It's incredible how they can control the tempo of a hockey game by owning the boards and keeping the other team stuck in their zone.
If wishes were Penguins.
Even after drafting Sidney Crosby, the team didn't experience immediate success; in fact they were still at the bottom of the ranks. They had to grow into their new identity. Then Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal joined the team the next season. The Penguins made it to the first round of the playoffs but lost to Ottawa. The next year, of course, we lost to Detroit, but this time in the Stanley Cup championship. So each year they worked harder, gained more experience, and honed their collective team skills until they won the Cup the following year.
If wishes were Penguins.
They are now a team run down with injuries. Maybe the Pens haven't lost as many man-games as some of the other teams this season. But what team who had them would want to be without Staal for the first part of the season, without Malkin for the second half, or without Crosby for (hopefully just) its middle? Even the support players like Kunitz, Letestu, Comrie, Asham, et al are sorely missed. Yet the team, even when comprised of Wilkes-Barre Scranton Baby Pens, works hard to try to keep our record in tact and maintain our place in the standings as we vie for position in the playoffs.
If wishes were Penguins, every team could have a Stanley Cup.
Instead it'll be just one.
The players' hard work to dominate the boards. Shero's trades to fill the gaps. Bylsma's coaching. Winning the tight games. We fans are hoping and praying that these steps will be enough to make us that one team.
And then it won't matter if wishes are penguins or horses or even elephants.
Oh, and a warm "Welcome back!" to Alexei Kovalev.
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