ONCE UPON A TIME...
There was a party being planned for many years, and many were to celebrate a special day of Love and Appreciation... a day of giving thanks and reaping the rewards that were well-earned. It was to be a day spent in a garden where the good things people had done were to be rewarded, just as flowers spring up in Springtime to bear fruit in the Summer.
These were flowers too, though of another kind... they were GOOD DEEDS.
The seeds had been planted very long ago, and the ones who planted them had tended them well. They, and other beings from distant realms, had worked so long and hard to nurture them, despite storms and pestilence, and all sorts of adversities and calamities. Some of the Nurturers had had to devote most of their time to tending the plants, and could do little else for a long time because of the conditions.
In addition to all the usual factors, there were some people who didn't care about the plants, and were only concerned about themselves. They didn't like seeing others tending to the plants. They wanted them to do what THEY wanted them to do. So some of the plants were destroyed and had to be replanted repeatedly. But the Nurturers would go back and plant again and again, because they knew the importance of these plants... these GOOD DEEDS
While these others were busy destroying the seedlings, they were not doing what they needed to be doing. They were just being destructive and not keeping up with those other things that needed to be taken care of. They would play, tidy this and that, rearrange the furniture, and do whatever they wanted to do, but they didn't care to help the Nurturers. They thought it was a waste of time. They were like bossy, demanding, unruly children who insist that everyone do as THEY say.... even if it's not a good idea. They spent so much time at having tantrums, and being stubborn and unwilling to do anything that they didn't WANT to do, that not only were the Nurturers having a difficult time of keeping up with the tending, but they were also trying to tend to other necessary things, and provide for the here and now, as well as the future. That was difficult enough, without these others sneaking into the garden and destroying the plants whenever they could. Of course, they would never admit they were doing that. They made up all sorts of tall tales about how it might have happened. They even blamed the Nurturers saying they should have put up higher fences, or taken other precautions.
In due course of time, the Shirkers saw all their resources were being depleted, for one reason or another. They blamed it on the Nurturers for not doing ALL as they should have been doing. They never blamed themselves for wasting their time destroying things and not doing THEIR part as they needed to be doing. If they didn't want to be a Nurturer, they could have been a helper, or a supplier, but they didn't want to do that. They just wanted to go about looking very busy, usually in a huff saying how they had to do EVERYTHING, or else, looking totally inept, so noone would ask them to help out with anything, much less planting and growing flowers in a garden.
Oh yes... The Shirkers... sigh... as usual ... doing as little as possible, but always seeming to be TOO BUSY! Oh they were active, but not really productive. They could do good, even FABULOUS, work, and be very devoted to doing it perfectly... but only when they chose to. Given a list of things they could do that would really help, telling them to pick anything on that list, stating that it really needs to be done NOW before things get worse, in regards to something that wasn't pleasurable, was extremely difficult, and required a sustained effort, but was absolutely VITAL, and they would agree... ( "oh yes. definitely! What kind of person would NOT lend a hand in this?!) and then, intentionally (which is of key importance here ) make a terrible mess of it, and walk away., mumbling how noone ever appreciate all they do, or something like that. After all, they never like being TOLD WHAT TO DO... even if it's on a list they can choose from, provided by someone who knows what is needed, and of utmost importance for their well-being too... but they rarely see that until it's too late... because they think they are immortal or something.
It would have been better had they flat-out refused, because before the task could be undertaken again, now the mess needed to be cleared away as well... and those things destroyed in their tantrum needed to be replaced as well... but sometimes some of them couldn't be. That made the whole task all the more difficult, which took more time. Tangled vines could not always be untangled so there were whole plants that would never fully blossom, because they couldn't get the sun they required. Those poor little buds would just wither away.
Working in this garden was an endless labour of love, really, as there was always something that needed tending... but moreso in some seasons than in others... and during especially fruitful times, the weeds tended to grow up more abundantly than ever, as well, with removing them being a very time-consuming task. Well, since the Shirkers seemed to like uprooting and destroying things, it might seem that they would enjoy doing that... but they seemed to enjoy seeing the weeds growing and taking what the flowers needed to grow. No doubt they saw something of themselves in them. Hearty little thieves that could take from the seedlings and the hard work of the Nurturers and do nothing for themselves. And like the weeds, they tended to take over and crowd the flowers out, almost to full extinction... claiming the garden as their own, when and wherever possible... for as long as it PLEASED them...
Sad to say that, in due course, after many years of endeavoring to produce a beautiful, productive garden, the Nurturers who could not possibly do all the work themselves, were getting very weary. The spoiled Shirkers (many of whom, also, tended to make this all look like some big joke> haha so funny ) were, of course, making matters worse, and were the greatest cause for the increasing failure of the Nurturers to be able to produce flowers as beautifully and abundantly as they once had. ( You remember reading about Eden, don't you?) These Shirkers were so busy shirking, and having tantrums, then going off to play, feeling very satisfied with the things they had taken claim to, that they were not really taking other important things into consideration. If the Nurturers lost everything they had to live on while they continued in the effort to grow the garden, doing constant battle, they would need a place to go to, and someone to provide for their needs, returning to them, some good deeds, which they had actually earned.... or they would not be there to produce more for the well-being of ALL, in the future.
Of course, they knew that the Shirkers hadn't done their part, and had even been working against them in destroying the seedlings time and time again, so they would not be asked to assist in the care and tending of a garden they didn't like in the first place. So when that time came, as it always does for a portion of them, somewhere, the Shirkers had no choice but to allow the Nurturers into their domain. Of course, they did everything to make it as miserable as possible, with all sorts of abuses, but the Nurturers stood their ground, literally as well as figuratively, appreciated what they had, laughed and sang, as much as possible, as they worked, ( for it costs nothing and is so divinely priceless ) and bided their time... They had little or no choice, really. It had become a matter not only of the survival of the garden, but of their own survival , individually and as a group, as well... and to others, in far corners they never even heard of, no doubt... (Vive la Revolution Marie... sigh...)
That the Shirkers could be so selfish as to not even want to give up, or just share, any portion of things they had for their fellow man, or family members, should show you how tenacious these bitter, perhaps even poisonous, little weeds among humanity are. The Shirkers seemed to perceive everything in the world as being there only for themselves, to use as they chose, discard when they wanted to, and ignore as they pleased... but they never really thought about who would tend to them when they got sick, or old, and could not do everything they once might have done. Oh, they may well have had a nice little income and a sweet little nestegg, but they didn't think they would lose it in a bad economy, or have it all swept away in a storm and not replaced by the insurance companies, or something or other. They felt they were above all that, or had built a wall so high that nothing could possibly gain entrance.... but illness, lonliness, a bad economy, and old age know no such boundaries.
It was worse then trying to assist an injured bear cub in the presence of its mother to get them to share anything... unless it was something to impress, or that they considered to be trash perhaps... in which case they usually delivered that to the front door... regularly... and of course the recipients were expected to be grateful for that... while more time and money were spent on removing it, as the Nurturers still had to continue to tend the garden as well.
"Oh that stupid GARDEN! Those LAZY, DO NOTHING, PLAY- ALL- THE- TIME- NURTURERS! They do nothing that really needs doing! If they would stop doing nice things for other people, and teach their children to raise themselves, and be "practical" like WE are, this would never have happened! And yet, just what have they done for ME... and after all I do for THEM!!! " ...even if they don't want it... even if they never asked for it... even if they paid dearly for it in some other way...
They never liked to see themselves as the domineering beings they are, preferring to see themselves as NOBLE... you know, like kings and queens ... SPECIAL... and indeed they were NOBILITY in that they were little-world rulers, but they were NOT Noble in their motives and actions, or above all, in their hearts. But they never seemed to see the difference, and even a good dictionary could not get the two different meanings across to them...
For the record: Nurturers are not dim-witted dolts. Given some sort of divine gift or other, they might well be among the most successful business people who ever lived, becoming a Nurturer able to employ many Nurturers in a fair and just manner... or they might well be a father who is among the best parents and husbands in the world, but, who, because he had a Shirker for a parent, (and it only takes ONE), or a spouse, or someone in some prominent position OVER him, could never seem to get ahead as he hoped, and planned, and gave so much effort to trying to do... They could be anyone in any position in life, male or female, really, but all too often, and for the most part, they are found seeking the best solution possible for the garden as a whole, in an effort to null and void, or at least moderate, the effects of the tempestuous outbursts of a Shirker.... which, generally, contain everything, including the kitchen sink... ( and the bathroom toilet for good measure... generally in need of a plunger by the way... )
(Successful Nurturers tend to be among more Nurturers than Shirkers, but one Shirker can take out a whole Army of Nurturers, because a King, or a Queen trumps everyone else, unless one can get enough the Pawns to stand united... which does happen, but not as a rule... )
And, as you can see by the dust sparkles in the sunshine ( no that's definitely not the magical stuff ) Shirkers are never really idle. They may be sitting there as quiet and motionless as Poison Ivy pressed in a nature identification book of some sort, but they are constantly thinking up tall tales and rehearsing them to look very convincing, and planning... thinking of how "WIN", because that is more important than really producing anything worthwhile, you see. They don't produce much... They TAKE it.... They want CONTROL, and they seem to view themselves as important people when they are bullying others and making slaves out of them. They just don't see the whole view, because they are grinding away at someone, or some thing, to try and make it fit as they want it to, even when it, clearly, is never going to.... and to their way of thinking, it WILL or it's useless...totally...." THROW THE WHOLE THING AWAY!!! MY WAY OR NOTHING!!!"
Well, back to the beginning... There were many who were planting and tending this garden for a very long time. The day of celebration was at hand. Invitations had gone out to all the guests... all very pleasant sorts... But there was one who seemed undecided. (Well, If he WAS decided, apparently he never told anyone. In fact he never said much, and when he did, it made no sence, unless perhaps you had known him for several lifetimes, or in Alice's WONDERLAND , or something )
It was important that he R.S.V.P. ... A.S.A.P.!!! but he didn't. Time was ticking away as rapidly as a cricket on a summer's night. Soon the Locusts would start their whirring, and by the time they stopped, the snow would be falling... It would be TOO LATE.
Well, after all the invitations had been sent out, by all the Nurturers and a HOST of others who lent a hand in what was to be perhaps the most glorious display of Fruition since Adam and Eve, the Nurturers were well nigh worn out from keeping the seedlings alive and flourishing.
I KNOW that the last thing the Nurturer who documented this story needed, was to have to go chasing after this Shirker. But he didn't actually appear to be a Shirker at the time. He just seemed to be... oh no...( the key words that seemed to have eluded the storyteller at the time) TOO BUSY... groan... wilt... ( but then again, the storyteller itself, being a Nurturer as well, was quite busy TOO!... ( and then some... and, as it was rumored, might well be related to Atlas somewhere along the line...) It was cleaning up and planting, trying to untangle the vines, and a myriad of other things, in an effort to make the world as beautiful and pleasant a place as Kew Gardens... and from growing as cold as ice... )
Well, it was up to this Nurturer to account for this errant invitation. Being a good-natured creature who really wished this one would come, ( because, after all, he had been invited for SOME reason,) it tried to discuss it and get a response for, oh, something like 40 years I think... and got none... ( which reminds me of what happened when the Titanic encountered an iceberg and sent out her S.O.S. to no avail ) UNTIL the day the Shirker revealed himself for what he really was, as he revealed his decision ... based solely on NOTHING...... spewing out vicious venom, blacker, and more enduring, than India Ink ( for Shirkers never apologise )
There was a clap of thunder as the clouds grew thick and lightning bolts tore through the heavens as he issued his angry Decrees without ever knowing, or wanting to know, what he was throwing away... Every flower that was offered was thrown back with a vengence, as if they were the worst things anyone had ever offered, and in the process, were transformed into something akin to swords of lightning, thrust in 3 times through its tender heart leaving the Nurturer almost lifeless, as he vanished into the unknown ... leaving only a black hole in the darkness...
This was the pivitol moment... the final hour... and sad to say, there was NO doubt after this as to what would follow. His whirlwind of words caused all the preparations to be blown away ,and all the guests to be dumbfounded and disorented. To think that HE was actually chosen to sit at a prominent place at the table, to be an honored guest, IF he had passed the test... which it was an easy one, IF you are a compassionate and caring kind of person. BUT he wasn't, and hasn't been known to be since then either. As I said Shirkers NEVER apologise.
So, as long, sad, tears rained down upon the young blossoms, the celebration was called off, quite likely for a lifetime, at the least... It HAD to be, because of the awful mess he made AT THE FINAL HOUR! So don't believe it if he tells you that his event was called on account of rain... if you were listening, that wasn't the wind howling, it was angels and other Nurturers crying!
Another time WILL come, but noone can say when. He must have the COURAGE OF LOVE, and not be a Shirker, who was more cowardly then The Lion in Wizard of Oz...and not at all kind.... which is also rather like being the Scarecrow, who, unlike this Shirker, while thinking he was so unintelligent, actually had enough brains not to be nasty to anyone... but you never know when someone might change their ways and find out they really do have a heart afterall... but that's another story.
Well, winter came, but thanks to the slowly occurring polar shift, as messy as the garden has become (since all the Nurturers must have their rest too you know ) it's not as cold as it could have been. If this had had a happy ending you wouldn't believe it really happened, would you? Or you'd probably have little pinch marks all over you, in any case, and then who knows who-all would start asking questions, and demand SENSIBLE answers...
In any case, with this polar shift, perhaps the whole world will become more temperate climate-wise, and perhaps people-wise as well.... as those noxious Shirkers may well have been weeded out by the handful...
Ah... there you go ... the happy ending you were waiting for... Now you can go to sleep! PEACE, dear Nurturers... for your time is coming...
and >>>> R.I.P. Shirkers for yours is coming as well...
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*The happy ending to this story was dependent on a grown child who destroyed a garden with a tantrum. In this case, it was a boy, but it could just as well have been a girl, for girls do this too
** It might seem that what this story is rather political... but while it has to do with governing, or the lack thereof, it really is about individuals, and little groups, organizations, families, etc... though clearly it does apply to the global championship Chess tournaments as well...
... hmmmmm.... I'm just wondering....where do YOU stand???
As I heard someone say not long ago >>>
(and it sounded like a good idea to me.... and I'll pass along before you have more to ... "roo"...)
>>> If I were you I'd ... check ... mate
And if need be, set sail for a better course....
good luck
