Thursday 5 April 2012

It Is Amazing How Many Friends I Have

And The Earth Said Peace

I could not believe that this morning I heard a newscaster say that she was  a very popular person. On asked how she knew this she quoted the number of friends she had on facebook . Now I have to ask you, would you consider these your real friends? I have some very dear friends facebook but I also seem to have gathered a number who I would find it hard to even list as acquaintances. Here on blogging it could be so easy to have lists of followers, people we know not a bit.

This reminded me of the story of the young boy and his chair.

There was once a boy called Mario who loved to have loads of friends. He showed off a lot, always talking about how many friends he had at school, and how he was so friendly with everyone.
One day his grandfather said to him,
"Mario, I bet you a big bag of popcorn you don't have as many friends as you think. I'm sure many of them are nothing more than companions, acquaintances, or partners in crime."
Mario accepted the bet without hesitation. However, he wasn't sure how he could test whether or not his schoolmates were real friends, so he asked his grandpa. The old man answered,
"I have just exactly what you need, it's in the attic. Wait here a minute."
Grandpa left, soon returning as though carrying something in his hand, but Mario could see nothing there.
"Take it. It's a very special chair. Because it's invisible it's rather tricky to sit on, but if you take it to school and you manage to sit on it, you'll activate its magic and you'll be able to tell who your real friends are.”
Mario, brave and determined, took the strange invisible chair and set off for school. At break time he asked everyone to form a circle, and he put himself in the middle, with his chair.
"Nobody move. You're about to see something amazing."
And Mario attempted sitting on the chair. Having difficulty seeing it, he missed and fell straight onto his backside. Everyone had a pretty good laugh.
"Wait, wait, just a slight technical problem," he said, making another attempt. But again he missed the seat, causing more surprised looks, and a few cat calls. Mario wouldn't be beaten. He kept trying to sit on the magic chair, and kept falling to the ground... until, suddenly, he tried again and didn't fall. This time he sat, hovering in mid-air...
Then it was that he finally experienced the magic that his grandfather had been talking about. Looking around, Mario saw George, Lucas, and Diana - three of his best friends - holding him up, so he wouldn't fall. Meanwhile, many others he had thought of as friends had done nothing but make fun of him, enjoying each and every fall.
And there the show came to an end. Leaving with his three friends, he explained to them how his grandfather had so cleverly thought of a way to show him that true friends are those who care for us, and not just any acquaintance who happens to be passing by. Even less would a friend be someone who takes joy in our misfortunes.
That evening the four children went to see Mario's grandpa to pay out the bet. They had a great time listening to stories, and eating popcorn until fit to burst. And, from then on, they used the magic chair test on quite a few occasions. And whoever passed it became friends for life.

I have been amazed at the number of people who have taken time to be in touch while I have not been blogging and those of you whom have stuck around and are still here on my return. Thank you all dear friends. 

This blog is linked to my other where I speak of the artwork here.  And The Earth Said Peace 

1 comment:

  1. Good Morning Ralph, what a great story! I do not know exactly where you live nor have I had an ale with you but I look for you every day. I laugh with you and sometimes worry and always learn something. Maybe about your vegetable plot and I think I could plant that in mine? Or I learn about your "village people" and I think we have characters in my town like that! I learn from all of your paintings, color, shape and form and when you include stories about them it is as if I had been invited to your studio! I learn from your ills and when you are hurting and think too, I have had that pain and I always wonder and am thrilled at how you overcame it.
    Oh, I haven't gone so far as to take up running but I am happy to hear of your successes even when mine are different. Your stories are the best, inspirational, even the ones that made me cry! If we listen you have a knack of prodding us with with a gentle stick, getting us unstuck from where we might be and allowing a view a little further down the road. Without even knowing you have held that chair for me many times and I would hope that I had the strength to hold it for you.

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