In preparation for his ascendancy to the throne, the young man was sent to the Wise One to learn the secret of how to run a kingdom.The Wise One sent him to the forest to sit in silence in the middle of it. Then, he was to report his experience back to the the Wise One. After a time, he went back and reported:
"Master, as I sat in silence, I can smell the fragrance of the flowers. I can hear the breeze blowing through the leaves of the trees, and I can feel it's coolness on my skin. I can hear the stream flowing in the distance. I can hear the birds singing. At night, I hear the crickets chirping."
The Master replied:
"Normal and ordinary. Go back the forest and sit some more. Then, come back when you have better things to tell me."
The young man went deeper into the forest and sat in silence once more. After a longer period of time, he went back to the Wise One and reported:
"Master, as I sat in silence, I can hear the rustling of the grass as it grew under me. I can can hear flowers opening up to full bloom. From inside their holes in the depths of the earth, I can hear the ants at work storing food. In daylight, I can hear the leaves crackling as they open up to receive the sun."
The Wise One replied:
"Well done, future king! But, there are still some things that you need to learn before you can become a great ruler. Go back and sit some more."
The young man went much, much deeper into the forest. As he sat in silence for a long time he became quite excited. At one point, he almost stood up to run to the Master to report his experience. But, he stayed where he was, and he sat for a long time. As he settled down, a calm came over him. He sat and learned. The longer he sat, the more he learned. When he was satisfied, he got up and went back to the Wise One and reported:
"Master, as I sat in silence in the middle of the forest, I became one with it. I could feel the pain of the trees as woodcutters cut them down. In my mind, I could see the breeze as it caressed the leaves of the trees. I could sense the grass and the flowers drinking in the dew. Where there's no sun, I could feel the grass reaching out to cover the forest floor to make it greener. Master, it is so strange how I could feel the need of every creature in the forest. Even of the forest itself. I am so filled with sadness because there is not much that I can do."
The Wise One replied:
"Excellent, young king! You are now ready for the job. Indeed, the true measure of a great ruler is to be able to become one with his realm. To see beyond what the eye sees. Seeing dreams that others dreamed and understanding them. To hear the unspoken. To hear beyond what the ears hear. Feeling beyond feeling; feeling the unvoiced pain. Feeling the unexpressed needs. Feeling the suppressed fears, the silent hopes. Being a ruler is going beyond what you think you are and becoming what the need of the moment demands. For after all, you are what you rule. Sadly, many of those who rule fail at it."
The story ends, but the drama continues.
How everyone in this great U.S. of A wish that its leaders could be discerning enough to sense the need of the moment. But, it seems rather difficult when those who assumed the yolk of leadership have lost their bearings. They have confused obstinacy with strength, stubbornness with courage, and one-track mindedness with resolve.
So, while history marches on, America's claim to greatness, left behind as a legacy by the Founding Fathers, has taken an extended lunch break. Worse, those who have sworn to preserve it may have killed it in an effort to leave their own individual imprint upon the annals of human events.
It is sad, not because there is not much they can do, but that their incompetence has stymied even their very best efforts to do a little.
