Once in a golden hour
I cast to earth a seed.
Up there came a flower,
The people said, a weed.
To and fro they went
Thro’ my garden bower,
And muttering discontent
Cursed me and my flower.
Then it grew so tall
It wore a crown of light,
But thieves from o’er the wall
Stole the seed by night.
Sow’d it far and wide
By every town and tower,
Till all the people cried,
“Splendid is the flower!”
Read my little fable:
He that runs may read.
Most can raise the flowers now,
For all have got the seed.
And some are pretty enough,
And some are poor indeed;
And now again the people
Call it but a weed.
Because the road was steep and long And through a dark and lonely land, God set upon my lips a song And put a lantern in my hand. Through miles on weary miles of night That stretch relentless in my way My lantern burns serene and white, An unexhausted cup of day. O golden lights and lights like wine, How dim your boasted splendors are. Behold this little lamp of mind: It is more starlike than a star! Source
Today’s Thinking Out Loud reflection is on Aesop’s Fable, The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing. Aesop’s Fables is available for free download here.
The Fable
“A Wolf resolved to disguise himself in order that he might prey
upon a flock of sheep without fear of detection. So he clothed
himself in a sheepskin, and slipped among the sheep when they were
out at pasture. He completely deceived the shepherd, and when the
flock was penned for the night he was shut in with the rest. But
that very night as it happened, the shepherd, requiring a supply of
mutton for the table, laid hands on the Wolf in mistake for a
Sheep, and killed him with his knife on the spot.”
Note: Some folks consider themselves clever. They believe they’re smarter than everyone else; they believe they can manipulate everyone else. They do, until the people who are being taken advantage of decide enough is enough and confront the situation demanding honesty. It’s not always easy because the clever ones couch their motives as if they are working in our best interests when they are serving their self interests. In the end karma catches up to them. When we measure a person’s words through his/her actions we can see if they are working in our best interests or if they have another scheme afoot. We are not powerless. We don’t have to be duped.
Today’s Thinking Out Loud reflection is on Aesop’s Fable, The Hares and the Frogs. Aesop’s Fables is available for free download here.
The Fable
“The Hares once gathered together and lamented the unhappiness of
their lot, exposed as they were to dangers on all sides and lacking
the strength and the courage to hold their own. Men, dogs, birds
and beasts of prey were all their enemies, and killed and devoured
them daily: and sooner than endure such persecution any longer,
they one and all determined to end their miserable lives. Thus
resolved and desperate, they rushed in a body towards a
neighboring pool, intending to drown themselves. On the bank were
sitting a number of Frogs, who, when they heard the noise of the
Hares as they ran, with one accord leaped into the water and hid
themselves in the depths. Then one of the older Hares who was wiser
than the rest cried out to his companions, “Stop, my friends, take
heart; don’t let us destroy ourselves after all: see, here are
creatures who are afraid of us, and who must, therefore, be still
more timid than ourselves.”
Note: As an academic I was a qualitative researcher. My students would go with me to fieldsites to conduct our research. The central point of our research was to gain qualitative data chiefly through interviews. My students understood they were collecting data and not arguing perceptions with the interviewees. They followed the maxim, perception is reality. What we see may not be accurate. We may be seeing it through biased filters, faulty memories, or our own faulty value system. It takes courage to question our perception, beliefs, and other tenets we live by and test them to see if they are accurate or still viable. If we fail to test them we may continue to live life not perceiving reality. Perhaps you know people whose perceptions are based on something that is not true. It’s difficult to convince them of reality and they may end up diving into the pond (as the hares intended to do).
Today’s Thinking Out Loud reflection is on Aesop’s Fable, The Dog and Sow. Aesop’s Fables is available for free download here.
The Fable
“A Dog and a Sow were arguing and each claimed that its own young
ones were finer than those of any other animal. “Well,” said the
Sow at last, “mine can see, at any rate, when they come into the
world: but yours are born blind.”
Note: I’ve observed arguments between intelligent people who both claim to be right. I noticed when they were arguing there was plenty of room to compromise, yet they couldn’t. They refused to see where they did agree and only could see where they disagreed. Because of their high intelligence they kept making their point and showing where the other was weaker. And this went on and on. Finally, the meeting would end with nothing resolved; they would pick up where they left off at the next meeting. Does this make sense? It doesn’t to me. Yet it happens all the time. It happens in our relationships and in our work life. When we ask ourselves a better questions such as where we agree, or, how can we move forward and resolve this issue Will lead to better results and more peaceful relationships.
Today’s Thinking Out Loud reflection on Richard Bach’s, Jonathan Livingston Seagull.
Jonathon Livingston Seagull finds himself ostracized and banned from the flock. He doesn’t sulk, he decides to keep following his dream.
What he had once hoped for the flock, he now gained for himself alone; he learned to fly, and was not sorry for the price that he had paid. Jonathan Livingston seagull discovered that boredom and fear and anger are the reasons that a gulls’ life is so short, and with those gone from his thought, he lived a long fine life indeed.
Note: Paying more attention to other people than to ourselves and trying to control their lives instead of worrying about our own life creates a great angst both for the other person and for ourselves. Instead of criticizing those who are different from us why not encourage them? Why not look at our own lives and discern what it is that we are meant to do and be. I think what we are meant to do and be is something that is always evolving. What we were meant to be at one stage in our life will not be the same at another stage of our lives. Wise people understand this and adjust and adapt and continue to learn and grow. And those who don’t, like the gulls in the story, discover that their lives are filled with boredom and fear and anger.
When you’re up against a trouble,
Meet it squarely, face to face;
Lift your chin and set your shoulders,
Plant your feet and take a brace.
When it’s vain to try to dodge it,
Do the best that you can do;
You may fail, but you may conquer,
See it through!
Black may be the clouds about you
And your future may seem grim,
But don’t let your nerve desert you;
Keep yourself in fighting trim.
If the worst is bound to happen,
Spite of all that you can do,
Running from it will not save you,
See it through!
Even hope may seem but futile,
When with troubles you’re beset,
But remember you are facing
Just what other men have met.
You may fail, but fall still fighting;
Don’t give up, whate’er you do;
Eyes front, head high to the finish.
See it through!
