There was
once a King who decided to hold a contest. He gathered everyone in his kingdom
together at a certain place on a certain road that led to his castle and
announced that he would give a great prize to the person who traveled the road
the best.
Each
person tried to outdo the next in creativity, strength and agility – dancing,
spinning, walking on their hands, cart wheeling and hand springing… They
created outrageous bicycles and other wheeled contraptions. They all did their
very best - even when, one by one, they came upon a large pile of dirt and
rocks in the middle of the road that they had to stop and climb over.
As every
person reached the castle the King asked them how their journey down the road
had been. And every person answered the same way – it was great except for that
annoying pile of rubble in the way.
The King
threw a feast for all who had participated and as the celebration was coming to
a close, in walked one lone straggler – a young man, tired and hungry, hours
later than the rest. In his arms he carried a large wooden chest. The king
asked him what had taken him so long and he apologized for being late,
explained that there had been a pile of rubble in the road that he had stopped
to clean up. He had found the chest under the rocks and had come to return it
to its rightful owner.
The king
stopped the festivities - announcing to the crowd that this young man had won
the prize, a chest full of gold, because “He who travels the road best is the
one who makes it better for those that come after him.”
I think that’s
what Life is all about – making the road safer and happier for those
that follow. And I know it’s what I have committed my existence to – not because I think I am super special or am
after any sort of prize but because I really believe that is how I am to live
my life. I have navigated ridiculously treacherous terrain, as have many of us,
and I think that all any of us can do is to share where we are and where we have
been with others that are traveling on the same road and do our best to make
the journey safer and better for them. Just doing our simple best to ease the
hearts of fellow travelers who feel the same pain we have felt and are climbing
over the same obstacles we have – that’s all.
At times
I have done my road clearing from an army tank, other times from a clown car.
Now I find myself traveling in a polka dotted tank covered in hippie signs and
Namaste bumper stickers that shoots bubbles and sunflowers and chocolate
kisses. And occasional shots of Tequila.
