A parable
I loved this and it was timely, I must say. I have had a bit of a go around with myself lately as to what the hell I am about and what is going on in my head, where I want to head( hmm, that was funny to read just now) and what kind of vibes I want to give off. This post of Lee's last week was exactly what I was thinking about for myself. I am so hard-boiled lately and not finding myself in a very positive frame of mind. So unlike my earlier years when I was upbeat and happy-go-lucky. Now I am cynical, sarcastic and somewhat hateful toward life. It drains me. It has no constructive use. It gets me nowhere. I need something like this post cross-stitched and hung on my neck so I can keep it upper-most in my mind. This and a bottle of fine merlot, I think. I've got the merlot part handled...
I know, I know, it looks like I have a crush on Lee -and I do. I've posted about his posts before. But I love intelligence. It's sexy. It's engaging. And timeless....
An egg, a carrot and a little coffee...
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see.""Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied. Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee.The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water."Which are you?" she asked her daughter. When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a break-up, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavour . If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean? May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy. The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. ...
Gosh , I hope he doesn't read this,,,,
http://leekennedyf.blogspot.com/
posted by Lee at Wednesday, October 25, 2006 15 comments
I know, I know, it looks like I have a crush on Lee -and I do. I've posted about his posts before. But I love intelligence. It's sexy. It's engaging. And timeless....
An egg, a carrot and a little coffee...
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see.""Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied. Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee.The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water."Which are you?" she asked her daughter. When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a break-up, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavour . If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean? May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy. The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. ...
Gosh , I hope he doesn't read this,,,,
http://leekennedyf.blogspot.com/
posted by Lee at Wednesday, October 25, 2006 15 comments
posted by Unknown at 10:01 PM
4 Comments:
Don't be too hard on yourself, Greeny. I love coffee - (dark and strong like my men) but hard boiled eggs are convenient and nutritious. Life takes the fragile out of you, but not the sustenance. It's OK to not know where you are going. Everyone who thinks they know is only guessing anyway.
I think intelligence is sexy too.
I think maybe I'm egg drop soup with diced carrots and a cup of coffee.
If I'd have known I could get chicks, I'd have joined Mensa!
a) Thank you for passing on that parable. I liked it.
b) I'm so glad to see you back! I had just linked to you and then you didn't post for weeks and weeks and I was almost getting worried!
3) I still think you made a fabulous Joan Crawford.
Take care of yourself, would you please? (I'm drinking merlot right now. I lift my glass in your general direction).
If I help you with your self-portrait then it won't be a "self"-portrait now will it.
email me 2boys at 2boys.net
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