THE POPULAR HARE AND THE TORTOISE

Hares and the Tortoise

Once upon a time, there were a group of hares and a tortoise living in a nice gated community. Since it is a gated community, everyone was competing for space, more food and more mates.

It was a never ending story of competition for the small community. Out of the group, there was one hare who was much more superior than others. She always gets the best carrots in the patch. All the elders adored her and all the juniors respected her.

One day, the community gate was broken and all the hares and the tortoise were happy. Some of them went away to other communities. Some stayed back. The popular hare ran as fast as she could and as far as she wanted to be. She was away from the community for a decade.

The tortoise made her way slowly to other communities with better ponds. Even though some of the ponds she came across were muddy, she waited patiently for the rain to come and wash the mud away.

One fine day, everyone came back to the community for a reunion. The popular hare, being away the longest and furthest was thrilled to share her lovely life in a far away land with her friends.

She came home to find out that some of the hares had had families. Some of the hares were doing well in businesses. Some of the hares are still very much the same – still ever competitive in the smaller community.

As a popular hare, she was confused. Being at the end of the earth should prove much more enticing and exciting. But the other hares who stayed back or went away to nearer places were much contented or even achieving much more than herself.

Then, came in the tortoise bidding everyone a good evening.

The popular hare, being dejected, asked the tortoise what was going on.

The tortoise said, “Well, you ran to such a far place and it took you so much time. While you ran, the others who stayed back, made the most of everything that had left. Some went to other communities, learning the ability to adapt and learn their ways of businesses.

You were too busy running that you didn’t even see me when our paths crossed.

There were some nice hares waiting to say hi to you along the way, but you were too busy to notice them. You kept on running and running to the end of the earth, thinking that you would get more out of it.

Sometimes in life, you ought to sit back and relax to smell the roses. Learn to accept whatever choices that you have made and lived by them.

Appreciate what you have attained or going to attain.

Life is not all about having everything that is the best. It is making the best of everything that comes along and the willingness to share it with others.

The moment you stopped wanting and comparing, it is a time when you would feel totally liberated and be proud of what you had achieved with your own capacity and capability.

To the hell with what others think. You have done just fine and dandy.”

The popular hare, realized that she had been trying too hard to be on the crème of the crop all the time that she had forgotten how to live a life.

The tortoise consoled her and bought her a Shirley Temple and taught her to shoot some pool at BarFly.

Well, that sums up the meeting of my ex primary and secondary school mates during last weekend….. I am the tortoise.