It was late afternoon on the beautiful beach. The visiting tourist was in a great mood, clicking away with his camera. He saw a boat on the shore with a fisherman relaxing in it, half asleep. He was obviously enjoying his siesta and seemed to have not a care in this world. Contentment was written all over him.
The tourist took a few photographs of the boat and the fisherman. He could not help striking a conversation with the man.
“Taking rest, are you?” he began.
“Yes, of course,” answered the fisherman in a friendly tone.
“Aren’t you going fishing now?” asked the tourist. “I did in the morning,” said the fisherman, “and I am now resting.”
“Did you have good catch in the morning?”
“Not bad at all. Enough for my needs.”
“But you could have gone fishing again this afternoon?”
“Of course, I could have.”
“Then you would have caught more fish, sold it and made more money?”
“Sure, I could have.”
“If you did so every day, you would have enough money to buy a bigger boat, employ workers, catch much more fish and make a lot of money?”
“I agree.”
“You could then buy a fleet of boats and earn even more?”
“I suppose that is true.”
“Soon you would be able to set up a fish processing factory yourself and become an exporter and make millions?”
“That is possible.”
“You would then be very rich and you can buy anything that you want.”
“I can see that.”
At last, the fisherman had a question. “What would I do with all the money?” he asked.
“Don’t you realise that you could then relax without a care in the world?”
“But that is what I am doing now!” answered the fisherman and the tourist was left confused and speechless.
Background: This is a short English version of a story written by the famous German author Heinrich Boll. The title is mine.
A good one.
The following is in lighter vein.
A boy was sitting in an easy chair. His father came in and saw the boy resting. Not being a normal father who gets angry when the the sons while away their time, he was a little considerate. He did not want to hurt the boy. He told him in a friendly way,” Son don’t you think that this is the age where you should work hard and study well”
Son replied,” yes Dad! You’re right. By the way tell me what am I going to do working hard?”
Father was delighted that he is able to put the boy in the right track. He told him, “If you study well, you will come out meritorious”
The boy asked,” then?”
“You will get a good job and earn well” Father was jubilant while answering.
“Afterwards?” son was curious, father thought.
“you will get a good life partner and get settled in life”
Son looked up and signalled to the father to go ahead.
“You will have a pleasant family life with children who will bring you laurels and naturally you will be a contended man in life”. Father felt that he was clever enough to indicate that he wants his son to make the father a satisfied man.
Son waved his hand up and down as though he is encouraging the father with his further sermons.
As the last value, father added,” you will live a royal life relaxing comfortably during the rest of your life”
Then the son stood up, looked at the father serenely and said, ”What else you think I am doing now? What you preach me as an achievement I have it now itself. Then why the hell should I go on with all these ordeals?” and left.
Father stood still motionless perhaps by this time fainted.
Thanks, Krishnan. My translation does not match the standard of the original German version. But the idea comes through in my version and in yours.
I agree. I often use this story when I teach, with a little variation of a farmer facing a world bank’s team, by forcefully introducing the context somewhere in the course. I often prod the attendees to draw a line, for themselves, as to what they want in their lives. They enjoy the story no doubt, but fail to fathom the implication of the story. They are all confused as they have no clarity as to what they really want in life. Most of them are conditioned by the societal values without a thought of what should be their own of thinking and living. If they trudge a little deeper thoughts too will have no importance.
You are right, Ravi. The first task is to find out what one really wants. It is difficult because, from childhood, we are conditioned by what our family and the society expect of us.
Of course it is true that we have a conditioned mind by our family seniors as well as the bitter experiences we face. ” why risk?”is the normal attitude. Equivalent to the Elephant tied with a tiny string to a weak pole.
If we try hard, our learning anxiety becomes more than survival anxiety. There is no need to be so anxious to increase the learning anxiety [ to become rich and so on] and survival anxiety[wasting time, etc]. The ratio remains same or becomes negative !!! Nobody has become so called rich that way.