Post by Ann on Jul 29, 2004 12:57:14 GMT -5
Growing Good Corn
There was a farmer who grew award-winning corn. Each year he
entered his corn in the state fair where it won a blue ribbon.
One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned
something interesting about how he grew it.
The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn
with his neighbors. "How can you afford to share your best
seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in
competition with yours each year?" the reporter asked.
"Why sir," said the farmer, "didn't you know? The wind picks
up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to
field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination
will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow
good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn."
He is very much aware of the connectedness of life. His corn
cannot improve unless his neighbor's corn also improves.
So it is in other dimensions. Those who choose to be at peace
must help their neighbors to be at peace. Those who choose to
live well must help others to live well, for the value of a
life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose
to be happy must help others to find happiness, for the welfare
of each is bound up with the welfare of all.
The lesson for each of us is this: if we are to grow good corn,
we must help our neighbors grow good corn.
Author Unknown
There was a farmer who grew award-winning corn. Each year he
entered his corn in the state fair where it won a blue ribbon.
One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned
something interesting about how he grew it.
The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn
with his neighbors. "How can you afford to share your best
seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in
competition with yours each year?" the reporter asked.
"Why sir," said the farmer, "didn't you know? The wind picks
up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to
field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination
will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow
good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn."
He is very much aware of the connectedness of life. His corn
cannot improve unless his neighbor's corn also improves.
So it is in other dimensions. Those who choose to be at peace
must help their neighbors to be at peace. Those who choose to
live well must help others to live well, for the value of a
life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose
to be happy must help others to find happiness, for the welfare
of each is bound up with the welfare of all.
The lesson for each of us is this: if we are to grow good corn,
we must help our neighbors grow good corn.
Author Unknown