That wise and sensitive poet Shel Silverstein wrote a short verse he called "The
Little Boy and the Old Man." It goes like this:
Said the little boy, "Sometimes I drop my spoon."
Said the little old man, "I do that too."
The little boy whispered, "I wet my pants."
"I do that too," laughed the little old man.
Said the little boy, "I often cry."
The old man nodded, "So do I."
"But worst of all," said the boy, "it seems
Grown-ups don't pay attention to me."
And he felt the warmth of a wrinkled old hand.
"I know what you mean," said the little old man.
We are really not so different, are we? Old and young. Male and female. Those of
us from one nationality or another, this political bent or that. This race or
that race. Those from one social class and those from another. Don't we feel the
same things? Desire the same things? And don't we laugh at the same things and
have similar problems?
A wonderful story tells about an old rabbi who one day called his disciples and
asked the question, "How do you know when the night is giving way and the
morning is coming?"
One of the young disciples stood and said, "Teacher, isn't it when, through the
dim light, you can see an animal and discern whether it is a sheep or a dog?"
The rabbi said, "No."
Another raised his hand and said, "Rabbi, could it be that, when in the mist of
the morning, you can finally look at a tree and know whether it is a fig tree or
an olive tree?"
Again the rabbi said, "No." Then he elaborated: "You'll know that the night has
passed when you can look at any man and any woman and discern that you are
looking at a brother or a sister. Because, until you can see with that clarity,
the night will always be with us."
What do you see when you gaze upon those around you -- when you watch
television, shop for food and read of international concerns -- do you see
sisters and brothers? Because, when we see with that clarity, the night will
give way and the light of day will dawn upon a new and beautiful humanity.
© 2000 Steve Goodier
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