Thursday, January 8, 2009

The Servant, the Crocodile, and the Boat







This is an odd tale, I rather hope that you can follow it! For Honors English I had to create a story. Not just any story, but a completely made up African Fable that had a moral to it. It was rather easy for me to come up with, although it is incredibly strange. The whole story was based off of the phrase, "Look before you leap." Which seems to be a fairly good moral for all cases and situations.

On one of the hottest days not far from the Nile River, an accident befell the pharaoh’s servant, Chakide; a servant who was not exactly the sharpest stone. For as the servant walked to draw water from a fresh well near the palace, he tripped over a rock, and fell headfirst into the well with a loud splash. Despite the fact that Chakide was rather foolish, he was wise enough to find a way to hold on to the stones of the well to keep himself from drowning. Not conserving the strength he would need to hang on for dear life, he hollered at the top of his lungs for help out of the well. From across the Nile, a young man named Gwala heard the man’s loud pleas of distress.
“Surely this man is in trouble and needs my help!” The young man exclaimed. Rushing to help the poor man in fear, Gwala dived into the Nile to swim across, not looking at the crocodile who licked his lips at the approaching man that he thought looked more like a tasty snack. Luckily Gwala's friend Ngozi the merchant was passing by in small reed boat, and was able to lift Gwala out before it was too late.
“Careful brother, you almost lost a limb!” Laughed Ngozi.
“Well hopefully that man who is calling for help will find some, I’m too shaken to be of any assistance now!”

A sly man known to many as "Abrafo" had been spying on Gwala and his attempt to help the man across the river. He had watched as Ngozi quickly saved his foolish friend from the ravenous crocodile. Hoping to outwit Gwala for his failure, Abrafo leaped farther downstream to swim across. He hoped to get whatever he could out of the poor man in need of help, for exchange of his services. Leaping casually into the water, Abrafo began his swim. Only to be hit by a fast moving boat, that so happened to be the same small reed boat that was oared by Ngozi.
“Careful brother, or else you will be drowned by these boats that cross the waters of the Nile!” Ngozi called down, hoisting Abrafo into his boat.
“That poor man, I wonder who will save him.” Wondered Gwala outloud.
“Hmph!” spat Abrafo, disappointed at his own unclever scheming.
It was then that the lovely Funyanya called out to her father, the boatman, Ngozi.
“Father, can you take me across the river?” asked the bright eyed young woman.
“Anything for you daughter!” Ngozi called back lovingly. Funyanya made it safely across the river, and leaped carefully out of the boat and onto the shore. Quickly she raced to the noisy well, and found the pharaoh’s servant clinging desperately to the side. Without hesitation, she lowered the well’s bucket to the panicked Chakide. Chakide carefully wrapped the rope around himself and held on as Funyanya used the crank to bring him out of the well. When at last he was freed Chakide cried,
“Thank you!”
“It was nothing sir!” replied Funyanya humbly, and wanting to be of further assistance, she advised him,
“I have learned some valuable lessons today, kind sir. Watch your step, and look where you leap! You would be well to remember those words!”

Sunday, January 4, 2009

"Going Out"


     Recently I had a talk with a close friend, about a rather peculiar topic for me to discuss. I haven't had any experience in this subject myself yet, but somehow I was able to come up with good advice, from advice that I had been given years before.

     The advice I gave was from a lesson that I was given when I was twelve. Even though I'm sixteen now, I haven't forgotten the valuable, impacting lesson, and I don't think I ever will. But just in case I do, or just in case this might help you or someone like my friend, I'm going to tell you a story about an analogy that was shown to me.

     One Sunday when I was sitting in my church class, patiently waiting for the lesson to begin. I remember feeling really happy, our piano player was extremely good, and I distantly remember that she was playing some of my favorite hymns. I had just barely become old enough to go to a class called "Young Women's," so I was beginning to enjoy the company of all of the girls surrounding me. As I was sitting there enjoying the music and living life, my new church leader stepped into the classroom. In one hand she was balancing a huge bundle of roses, in the other hand she was holding a slender glass vase with a single rose. They were the prettiest roses I had ever seen, and I can almost recall hearing a collective gasp as the beautiful flowers were set down on the table in front of us. When the lesson started, our leader asked us all a question.
"Now, if I was going to give any of you girls these roses, which would you want? The bundle with all of these different beautiful roses, or just the one rose? Raise your hand for all those who would want the bundle..."
Every hand shot up. She laughed,
"That's what I thought." We sat there in puzzlement, wondering about the significance of the question, which was answered to all of the curious onlookers.
"Well, girls, I'm comparing these roses to people... Not just any people, all people are worth the same amount in God's eyes... But I'm talking about boys. Let's compare these roses here to boys." Roses and boys? What's the connection exactly? That was answered pretty quickly too.
"Girls, boys are like roses. They all have worth to them. They are all different... But how will you know which rose you'll like the best until you look at them all individually and give them each a try? Eventually, we will all just have one rose in our vase, we need to make sure that that rose is the best out of the bundle, the one that we love the most."

     I think every teenager could have used that inspirational, heart felt talk. We only have the opportunity to be teenagers once. Why don't we make the best out of it? I've had it pounded into my head by multiple adults, "you will end up marrying who you date." It's true! So why do we have boyfriends and girlfriends? We should give lots of different people a try, not limiting ourselves! Now listen to my analogies on the topic.

      What kind of a deprived person do you think you'd be if you only tasted mint flavored ice cream your whole entire life? Think about it, would you want to grow up and have only eaten one flavor? I don't even like mint ice cream, I hardly like mint flavor at all, and if that's the only option of ice cream I'd ever been given my whole life, I just wouldn't eat it! Then why would you only date one person? You never know what type of person you'd like better or have most fun dating unless you try lots of different people!

     Last comment on the matter... How happy and satisfied would Cinderella really be if she only gave Prince Charming a chance? How would she even know that he was more charming than every other guy in the first place? I don't believe in love at first sight, you have to know what makes that one person special. Looks aren't everything, there's a lot more to a person. Think about it.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Turn it around


I thought that I'd start the year off with a nice little poem, so I looked for one that was positive; one that has to do with being happy, and turning things around.

Let's start the year off on a nice clean slate everyone! What do you want to accomplish this year? Don't give up on your goals, even if you miss a day. Make 2009 your very best year!

When life becomes more than you can stand
When all you need is a helping hand,
Hands might not be there to help you out
But don't ever give up in your time of doubt.

When the glass seems half empty and dry,
You have to give it another try!
Be happy, see life from a brightside,
Then life's worries will be cast aside.

When drama has reached the highest peak,
I know that life can seem pretty bleak.
Just improve the lives of those around,
Then your own life can be happy and sound.

When friends are filled with the harshest scorns,
Their words can be sharper than rose thorns.
Kill them with kindness, that's what they all need,
Become helping hands through your acts and your deeds.