Here is a story intended to comment on race relations. Can you see the relevance? What other areas of human interaction might this story clarify?
nce upon a time, a middle-aged couple went
to a distant country for a vacation. Because they enjoyed hiking, they soon
collected their gear and set out for a path to the peak of a high mountain.
“The path upward to the
top is difficult,” said the couple’s driver as they rode to the base of the
mountain. “Many who begin it lack the inner strength to persevere, and quit
before they reach the summit. But those who are truly committed and can draw on
spiritual as well as physical strength are wonderfully happy at the view from
the top.
“We’ve hiked some rough
trails,” said the husband. “And so far we have found that partnering enables us
to survive a lot of problems.”
“We each supply the
other’s weaknesses with our strengths,” said his wife.
The couple checked their
supplies, grabbed their backpacks, water bottles, and hiking poles, and set
out. The hike was indeed strenuous, but also refreshing and uneventful, until
the husband slipped on a loose stone and fell into the freezing water of the
stream they were crossing. The man’s wife helped him out of the water and,
seeing a large rock nearby sat him down and helped him remove his backpack.
Grabbing a towel she had been using to shade her neck, she did her best to dry
her husband’s face and hands.
“I’m so sorry to be such a
clumsy person,” the husband said.
“Nonsense,” replied his
wife. “You just slipped on a defective rock. Could happen to anyone.”
Deciding that the best way
to proceed was to continue the hike and let the man’s clothing dry as they
walked, the couple soon resumed their journey. Unfortunately, they had barely
taken two dozen steps from the large rock when the wife brushed against a stiff
branch, which sprang back against her, knocking her down.
“Are you all right?” her
husband asked, in a very concerned tone.
“My arm hurts,” the woman
said. “I hope it isn’t broken.”
“Well, let’s check,” said
her husband. “If it’s broken, we will head back to the starting point and radio
for a pickup.” The man then gently helped his wife up and examined her arm. He
discovered that she had only a mild sprain.
“I’m sorry to be so
careless,” she said.
“You’re the most careful
person I know,” he said.
A few days later, the
couple reached the top edge of the extinct volcano they had been climbing. Unfortunately,
they had only a few minutes to enjoy the beautiful vista. Then they heard loud,
angry screaming and yelling coming from the meadow below. As they turned their
attention to the noise, they heard a woman’s voice.
“I’m not going to help you
out of this pit because you’re just a man. I hate men. Men are inferior, worms,
slugs, horse manure.”
“And I’m not helping you
out because you’re only a woman,” a man’s voice replied, with equal derision. “And
besides, you’re ugly and worthless, just taking up space.”
“And you’re stupid,” the
woman retorted. “Now get out of the way so I can use this rope to climb out.
Jerk.”
“Sorry, stump face. This
rope is to be used by men only.”
“That’s just what I’d
expect a moron to say,” sneered the woman.
“What’s going on here?”
the husband of the hiker pair asked, as
the couple reached the pit where the young man and woman were trapped.
“Just what we need, another
disgusting man,” the woman in the pit scoffed, glaring up at him. “I thought
things couldn’t get any worse than being trapped with this sub-human bozo here,
and then I saw you. Can’t you drink some poison and improve the world?”
“Help me get away from
this ugly witch here,” the young man in the pit demanded. “I’ve already endured
three days of her pointless, offensive, zero-IQ, meaningless rant.”
Taking pity on the
frenzied, angry young people, the wife helped the woman out of the pit and the
husband helped the man out. The man and the woman sneered at each other and glared
with looks of hatred on their faces. The hiking couple could not help but
notice this.
“Why are you two so
hostile toward each other?” the wife asked.
“Because women are dumb
and ugly,” the man said in a hateful
tone. “And they are always in my face.”
“Because men are weak,
defective, and brutish,” the woman said, hissing. “I never want to see another
man as long as I live.”
“And I never want to see
another woman forever,“ the young man said, through his teeth.
Half unconsciously, the
husband and wife drew close to each other. The husband put his arm around his
wife, protectively. Their reflexive affection was noticed by the young people.
“Ugh,” they said together.
“You’re going to make me
vomit,” the young woman said to the hikers.
“You are vomit,” replied
the young man, emphatically.
“How can you stand to let
that creature touch you?” demanded the young woman. “Doesn’t his stench just
repel and nauseate you?”
“And why would you want to
get close to a putrid female?” the young man said, staring hatefully at the
young woman “She might bite you and give you some horrible disease.”
“You are a horrible
disease,” the young woman shot back.
The husband and wife had listened
to these diatribes with some concern. But they both were also somewhat amused,
finding it difficult to believe that the young people could be serious. The
wife was thinking about asking them if they were practicing for a scene in a
rather bad play. The husband was thinking of satire, and of the phrases, “pompous
posturing,” and “extreme exaggeration.” It was with this reaction that he
spoke.
“Well, you know,” he said,
taking a tone of mock authority and then glancing into his wife’s eyes and
smiling, “once you get to know a woman—or two, or ten, some of them are not
half bad.”
The hiker’s wife gave a
fake cry of offense and playfully punched her husband in the arm. Then in deadpan,
she said, “You know, honey, ‘till death us do part’ might be a lot sooner than
you think.”
When the young people saw
that the hikers were laughing together—and even enjoying each other—they waved
their hands in dismissal and stormed off in opposite directions, screaming most of those words you wish your
children didn’t have to hear.
“I guess we blew that
opportunity to counsel those young folks,” said the husband.
“Yes,” agreed his wife. “But
it probably wouldn’t have made any difference. People who insist on putting
others in little boxes and refuse to get to know those who aren’t like them can’t
help but miss out on all the things and people who would offer the fullest,
happiest, life.”
And don’t forget
interesting and fun,” added her husband.
“Yes,” she said. “Sharing
life with someone different is what gives us the knowledge we need to understand
everyone and everything—including ourselves.”
“That’s well said,
sweetheart,” said the husband. “And you’re right, too.”
“Well, of course I’m
right,” said the wife, in a tone of mock seriousness. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
