A STORY

This story takes place in a land far away and in a time long ago. Whether the story is true or not I do not know but a very trustworthy friend told it to me. The land where the story takes place is a strange place with things and events that seem odd to me. I'm told that in this land the inhabitants do not look like us. They look like flowers. They grow with their legs buried in the soil and have very beautiful and colorful blooms that grow out of their heads. They have eyes with which they use to look at the beauty of their friends all around them. They have mouths with which they talk to each other. All in all their existence is quite pleasant without much turmoil and strife. There is, however, an occasional disruption when the wind blows too hard or the rain comes too fast, which causes the inhabitants to suffer what seems to be the most trying of events. They have learned that no matter how severe the event, it passes, and everything returns to the pleasant conditions that existed before the strife. From this they have developed a philosophy of life that they live by.

Now in this land there was an odd inhabitant that did not think as the others seemed to function. This odd one had an unshakable feeling that there was more to his life than just standing in the same place all the time and looking at the same view everyday. He felt that the unpleasant events were not the inevitable events that others said they were. He felt very strongly that if only he could pull his legs from the ground he could move about and see other sights. Sights that he was sure would be the most grand and beautiful sights imaginable. He would let his imagination run wild and visualize what he thought he would see if he could only move about. He would imagine what the feeling would be like moving around and seeing these new sights everyday. Living in this imaginary and glorious world he felt a great sense of joy and exhilaration.

Now and again he would share his imagined existence of moving about with some of his friends. This was met with disdain. He was always put down for such foolishness and told to quit dreaming of such stupid things and learn to live in reality. He was told that the thought of moving around was the dumbest idea that anyone could think. Only one who is out of touch with reality could invent such a silly notion. Surly any one that spent time on such nonsense would not be a productive member of society.

After a while with constant criticism he quit telling of his fantasy. However the feeling was always there. Why was it so odd to think that there was another way to see things? Maybe somewhere there was a place where the inhabitants could move around. Seeing different things each day and not being content to see the same view their entire life. Someplace where the excitement of change was a way of life, where there was a constant new day with new events and unexpected challenges. What a wonderful place that would be.

His search involved many sources, all the sources at his disposal, but he never found any reference to a place that was as he imagined. He then began to suspect that neither place nor inhabitants could exist where you could move around at will. So after a time he was resigned that the others were right and his imaginary world was truly a flight of fancy. How silly to think that you could move around from place to place. He would not think of this silly notion any more, he would settle down and live in reality and be a productive member of society. A productive member of a land far away and in a time long ago.

But deep in his heart......................................................