Sunday, September 17, 2006
This is a fable. It is not true.
Once there was a tribe who could only walk backwards. Obviously, this was awkward, and not at all efficient. Because they couldn't see where they were going, they bumped into one another, fell into ditches, and occasionally one or the other would wonder, "Haven't we been here before?" Their leaders, however, assured them that this tribe had always walked backwards, this was the revered way of the ancestors, and it even was prescribed in their laws and books.
Still, accidents happened. People, not surprisingly, became irritable with this constant bumping and falling, especially when pushed aside by the more ambitious members of the tribe who wanted to be at the head of the pack (though, we all can see, if they were moving in the natural way they would in fact be rushing to be at the tail end).
Then, one day, three of the tribe felt twitches in their legs. They told their leaders, "Our feet want to move forward."
They were assured that these were merely growing pains, and they would adjust.
"Trust and follow us," the leaders said, even as they were falling and tripping and -- dare I report -- hitting one another in frustration.
As days and months and years passed, The Three began falling further and further away from the tribe, as on some days, they couldn't help it, their legs took a few steps forward before taking two steps back.
It was on one of these days that they all saw The Voice. It surrounded them, it touched their skin and mind and heart, and then they heard it.
"Stop," The Voice said.
Trembling, First asked, "But we want to move forward."
Second added, "How can we move forward if we stop?"
And Third, shaking even more than First, said, "We're in the middle of the road! We will be run over if we stop here."
Then, The Voice vanished.
The Three looked at one another, and agreed. Yes, they would do as they heard. If they continued going backwards, they would survive, but they would not live.
There they stayed, unmoving, for days and months and years.
Then, one day, they heard only silence.
"Our tribe has left us," First said.
"No, I think we left them," Second said.
"Does it matter?" asked Third. "Look how far we have come!"
This is a fable. It is possible.
Have a slow journey,
Candace
Once there was a tribe who could only walk backwards. Obviously, this was awkward, and not at all efficient. Because they couldn't see where they were going, they bumped into one another, fell into ditches, and occasionally one or the other would wonder, "Haven't we been here before?" Their leaders, however, assured them that this tribe had always walked backwards, this was the revered way of the ancestors, and it even was prescribed in their laws and books.
Still, accidents happened. People, not surprisingly, became irritable with this constant bumping and falling, especially when pushed aside by the more ambitious members of the tribe who wanted to be at the head of the pack (though, we all can see, if they were moving in the natural way they would in fact be rushing to be at the tail end).
Then, one day, three of the tribe felt twitches in their legs. They told their leaders, "Our feet want to move forward."
They were assured that these were merely growing pains, and they would adjust.
"Trust and follow us," the leaders said, even as they were falling and tripping and -- dare I report -- hitting one another in frustration.
As days and months and years passed, The Three began falling further and further away from the tribe, as on some days, they couldn't help it, their legs took a few steps forward before taking two steps back.
It was on one of these days that they all saw The Voice. It surrounded them, it touched their skin and mind and heart, and then they heard it.
"Stop," The Voice said.
Trembling, First asked, "But we want to move forward."
Second added, "How can we move forward if we stop?"
And Third, shaking even more than First, said, "We're in the middle of the road! We will be run over if we stop here."
Then, The Voice vanished.
The Three looked at one another, and agreed. Yes, they would do as they heard. If they continued going backwards, they would survive, but they would not live.
There they stayed, unmoving, for days and months and years.
Then, one day, they heard only silence.
"Our tribe has left us," First said.
"No, I think we left them," Second said.
"Does it matter?" asked Third. "Look how far we have come!"
This is a fable. It is possible.
Have a slow journey,
Candace
