Town and the Two Streets

Spiritual Story by Sheikh Qalandar Shah I see, in this story, the pitfalls of attachment to a point-of-view rather than commitment to re-creation and really "getting" communication. What do you see in this story? I am continually developing my skills as a communicator, to minimize the risks of "assuming," especially when I have the opportunity to obtain clarity. The model of communication I enjoy and use is based on Integrity, Responsibility and Generosity. The conversations are extraordinary and the rewards are immeasurable.

In eastern Armenia there was a little village with two parallel streets, called North Way and South Way, respectively. A traveler from afar walked down South Way, and soon resolved to visit the other street; however, as soon as he entered it, the merchants noticed that his eyes were filled with tears. "Someone must have died on South Way," said the butcher to the textile salesman. "That poor stranger, who just came from there, look how he cries!" A child heard the comment, and as he knew what a sad thing someone dying is, he began to cry hysterically. Before long, all the children in that street were crying. Startled, the traveler decided to leave immediately. He threw away the onions he was peeling in order to eat them - that being the reason his eyes were filled with tears - and went off. However, the mothers, worried by their children’s weeping, soon went to find out what had happened, and discovered that the butcher, the textile salesman and - by this time - several other merchants, were all deeply concerned about the tragedy which had occurred on South Way. More rumors began to spread; and since the town hadn’t many inhabitants, everyone on both streets knew that a terrible thing had happened. The adults began to fear the worst; but, since they were worried about the gravity of the tragedy, they decided not to ask anything, so as not to make matters worse. A blind man who lived on South Way and didn’t understand what was going on, decided to speak up: "Why such sadness in this town, which as always been such a happy place?" "Something terrible happened on North Way," answered one of the inhabitants. "The children are crying, the men frown, mothers send their sons home, and the only traveler to pass through town for many years, left with his eyes filled with tears. Perhaps the plague has hit the other street." Before long, rumors of an unknown deadly disease spread through the town. And since all the weeping had begun when the traveler visited South Way, the inhabitants of North Way were sure that that was where it had begun. Before nightfall, people from both streets abandoned their houses and left for the mountains of the East. Centuries later, that ancient village where a traveler passed peeling onions continues abandoned to this day. Not far away, two settlements emerged, called East Way and West Way. Their inhabitants, the descendants of the former inhabitants of the village, still do not speak to each other, for time and legends placed a great barrier of fear between them. Can you yourself in this story? Can you see communities, nations? What do you think? MSS

"Is there really any other reason than me?"

Here is Integrity, Action and Community at work, creating great things.

After you read this, ask yourself, "...is there really any other reason than me...?"

Read the question posed to TV personality, Mike Rowe and then his reply...

Mike,
I'm not sure where I heard that you are an Eagle Scout, which brings me to my question. Could you PLEASE take a moment & post to my 13 year old son Kelby & encourage him to finish scouting (& anything else that'll help with this?) Reason I'm asking is that he only lacks 1 1/2 - 2 years in reaching Eagle, but some of his buddies have got him to thinking scouting isn't cool at his age.
Thanks much, Gary --

*****

Kelby,

Your Dad asked me to drop you a line and say something inspirational that might persuade you to dig down deep and find the determination to make the rank of Eagle Scout. It's a reasonable request, from a father who obviously wants to see his son succeed. But here’s the thing - The Eagle Award is not really meant for people who need to be dragged across the finish line. It’s meant for a select few, and I have no idea if you have the guts to see it through.

Statistically, I suspect you do not. Only one out of a hundred Scouts make Eagle, so if you fail, there will be lots of other people with whom you can share excuses. Quitting now might disappoint your Dad, but I doubt that he or anyone else will be overly surprised. Anytime 99 out of 100 people do the same thing, it’s not exactly a shock.

I’m not trying to be cute with a bunch of reverse psychology. When I was 15, there was nothing that anyone could have said to me that would have inspired me to do something I didn't want to do, especially a stranger with a TV show. So I’m not going to assume you’re any different, or pretend that I have some influence or insight that you haven’t already heard from a dozen other people who actually know and care about you. I’ll just tell you straight up, that doing something extraordinary can be very lonely, and most people simply aren’t cut out for it. Being an Eagle Scout requires you to be different than most everyone around you, and being different is really, really hard. That’s why the award is called “an accomplishment.”

Personally, and for whatever it’s worth, the best decisions I've made in my own life, are those decisions that put me on the outside of being cool. Singing in the Opera, working in home shopping, staring in the school play when the entire football team laughed at me, and especially earning my Eagle, were all choices that required sacrifice, hard work, and delayed gratification. I have no idea if you possess those qualities, or even envy them. But I can tell you for certain, that NOT getting your Eagle, will be one of the easiest things you’ve ever done.

Anyway, I have no idea if you would prefer an easy life of predictability and mediocrity, or if have the passion to follow the road less traveled. Only you get to decide that.

Good Luck,
Mike

This Memorial Day weekend I had the great pleasure of attending the Eagle Scout Court-of-Honor for my nephew, in Dallas, Texas. His speech was remarkable for it's prescience...

First, I want to thank all of you for coming today. I know that for all of us it is incredibly difficult to wake up so early, especially on a day that we have off. But we have a wonderful breakfast waiting for you.

I just want to say how honored I am to have this bestowed upon me. Many times throughout the last 6 years I told myself a million times, “Just give up. It’s impossible. It’s too hard. You’ll never make it.” And although this went through my mind quite a bit, I never really gave up hope. I knew I had time. Although I had this time, I wanted to finish as quickly as possible. When I first crossed over in March of 2003, I told myself that I wanted to be an Eagle Scout before I entered high school. That was my goal. Freshman year came and went, and I still had not achieved it. But I did not stop trying. I kept pushing, even at times when I did not want to, and that made all the difference.

To the younger scouts: you may have time. You’re 11, 12, 13 years old. Many years lie ahead of you on your scouting journey, but do not wait to take action. Be proactive. Do all that you can to progress, it truly does help. Before you enter high school, do everything in your power to progress as far as you can. Do not necessarily become an Eagle before high school, because, as I learned, it is a horrendously difficult task, but take your game to the next level. Earn the two more merit badges that you have partials on. Finish your swimming requirements. All of these little things that you may have the time for now CAN and WILL fade into the background as your coursework picks up and you become more involved in your community. I guarantee it will happen. It is far easier to work now, instead of later. Achieving the Eagle rank is extremely difficult in and of itself, as some of you will find soon enough, but if you approach the process in the wrong way, you can make it nearly impossible.

In light of all this, do not limit this attitude to just scouts. Be proactive in all that you do. Work, THEN play. Not the other way around. Keep your priorities straight and your focus on your goals. Finish your math homework, and then go watch a little TV. I can assure you, hard work and focus are the keys to success. It is neither skill nor natural born ability. Keep striving, do your best, and never give up.

It took me a long time to get where I am today, and I can honestly say that without many people I never would have made it....

It is clear that Integrity, Community and Action were at work here and it is clear where Community can work against us as hard as we will let it.

As the new Eagle Scout says, "...hard work and focus are the keys to success..."

Were you inspired? How did/will you overcome the innumerable excuses that will come to mind when the going gets tough?

Let this community know. Here's a safe place to get support for your plans and goals. What type of people are in your community, in general? Do they think of ways to support you or are they quicker to justify the obstacles?

MSS

A Conversation From Nothing,

One minute she was alive. A wife and young mother...

I don't believe there is a lonelier place than attending a death you are powerless to stop.

I was there, 6 years ago.

The experience forever altered my way of looking at life.

I wept uncontrollably when I told her husband and her young child who couldn't understand why he couldn't see mommy and why she wasn't coming home.

I attended her funeral. There were hundreds of people there as she was a luminary in her church. I cried there, too.

This evening, her husband called me...

We're meeting on Friday afternoon.

What shall we talk about?

I am Inspiration and Freedom. My communication is from integrity, responsibility and generosity.

I'll tell you how it goes...

MSS