Essay 23 – Stories: The Rowboats

If great literature is too much of a stretch, you can work with stories of any kind. There are family stories; stories friends tell; and stories you have grown up with. What did Little Red Riding Hood mean? Well, among other things, it meant - do not talk to strangers. Stories often have morals to them or key points or values. Here is one of my favorite stories:

A very devout pious man was sitting in his living room in his cozy house in a peaceful valley when a news alert warned of torrential rain that would flood the valley. All inhabitants were advised to evacuate. But our pious friend felt comfortable in the knowledge that God would take care of him. So, he stayed. The water rose until a neighbor came by in a rowboat and encouraged the man to leave before he drowned. But our friend would not be persuaded. The water rose again, and another rowboat came by. But our friend would not budge secure in the knowledge that God would take care of him. After yet another rowboat was refused, the water rose until our friend drowned. Appearing before God, he protested “I thought you would take care of me”. God looked at him with a mixture of sternness and compassion and said, “who do you think sent the rowboats.”

What does the story mean? It can be interpreted in many ways by people with differing philosophies, worldviews, and outlooks. But the only meaning that matters is what it means to you and what it implies for cultivating meaning in your life.

Listen to the stories told around you. They can come from anywhere. Ask yourself what does that story mean? What does it mean to me? And what might it mean to other people? This will help you find out what is meaningful to you, what is meaningful to others and how you differ from others.

This essay is 326 words long and the audio is a little over 2 1/2 minutes.