Startled Clarence said, “But I have a good, sturdy rope. I could tie it to a tree and give you the end so you could pull yourself out.”
“You just don’t see reality do you?” the sinking man said. “You think that all there is to life is walking along your way enjoying nature, observing birds. But reality is mud and quick sand and those are the things we need to deal with in life. You think just because I hold on to some rope I can be out of this mess?”
“Well, yes. I once fell in quicksand, but I got out by using a rope.”
“How little you know of life. Are you not educated? Have you been brainwashed so that you don’t see reality? I know your type. A Simpleton with Pollyanna solutions to life’s deepest problems.”
Clarence could see that the man was getting deeper and deeper into the muck and he feared for the man’s life. “But you are sinking fast. Please let me help you out!”
The man laughed. “You think a rope is going to save mankind from all the sinkholes in the world. Take off your rose colored glasses, man! See reality for a change! This is reality!” and he pointed to the mud that engulfed him.
“But I’m standing on dry ground. That mud is not my reality.”
“So naïve!” the man said. But by now his chin was touching the mud.
“Please,” Clarence called one last time. “Let me help you. There is so much more to the forest than quicksand. Let me give you the rope and then show you the trees and animals and flowers.”
But it was too late. With a proud, all knowing smirk on his face the man slowly disappeared into the mud.
The moral of this story? Negative attitudes sink the soul but they also blind the eyes.
Picture found at: http://www.movements.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/34776777quicksand-1.jpg
This is so profound! Thank you for sharing it - I love it!
ReplyDeleteAnita, Thank you. I love writing parables, but wasn't sure if anyone else liked them.
ReplyDeleteWrite more parables, we like them. It does make you think differently about negatives when it is written in a parable.
ReplyDeleteOk this really is a case of not seeing the forest for the trees. How many times have we done the same thing? Great parable, thank you!
ReplyDeleteCathie
I appreciate your new words of encouragement by David O. McKay. :)
ReplyDeleteLaresa, Thank you for the vote of confidence. I love you!
ReplyDeleteCathie, The amazing thing is I've been in real conversations like this. I'm happy. The other person is miserable. And he or she thinks he has all the answers to happiness. It is mind boggling to be in such a conversation!
ReplyDeleteWendi, I like them too! They motivate me.
ReplyDeleteI really like this. Is is obvious in the story what the man didn't see. I wonder how ofter we do the same thing.
ReplyDeleteLove this parable...a couple of scriptures to go along with it: Alma 33:20...now the reason they would not look is because they did not believe that it would heal them. 1 Nephi 17:41...he prepared a way that they might be healed; and the labor which they had to perform was to look; and because of the simpleness of the way,or the easiness of it, there were many who perished.
ReplyDeleteMeleah, I wonder the same thing!
ReplyDeleteDani, Thanks for adding those scriptures.They do say the same thing.
ReplyDeleteThis is great, you hear so much of this in the world today, this parable points out how absurd they sound!
ReplyDelete