WE SHALL SEE

A CLASSIC WISDOM TALE FOR THE COVID CATASTROPHE

I was going to end this eventful year with Ten Questions we, as a society, have to grapple with. But you know what they are, so enough of that.

Instead, I am going to tell you an ancient tale that demonstrates something we all tend to forget: even terrible events can generate good outcomes. Even the deadly Wall of Silence erected around the Vaccine Deaths could result in something positive: the much needed, complete overhaul of our corrupted medical system. It could happen!

And it must happen. So here is the ancient tale and a wicked, modern cartoon to go with it. I think they make weird but wonderful bed fellows.

Here is the story:

"One day in late summer, an old farmer was working his field with his old sick horse. The farmer felt compassion for the horse and desired to lift its burden. So he left it to run loose in the mountains to live out the rest of its life.

Soon after, neighbors from the nearby village visited, offering their condolences and said, "What a shame.  Now your only horse is gone.  How unfortunate you are! You must be very sad. How will you live, work the land, and prosper?" The farmer replied: "Who knows? We shall see".

Two days later the old horse came back rejuvenated from meandering in the mountains while eating the wild grasses. He brought along twelve new young and healthy horses which followed the old horse into the corral. 

Word got out in the village of the old farmer's good fortune, and it wasn't long before people stopped by to congratulate him on his good luck. "How fortunate you are!" they exclaimed. You must be very happy!" Again, the farmer softly said, "Who knows? We shall see."

At daybreak the next morning, the farmer's only son set off to train the new wild horses, but was s00n thrown to the ground, breaking his leg.  One by one villagers arrived during the day to bemoan the farmer's latest misfortune. "Oh, what a tragedy!  Your son won't be able to help you farm with a broken leg. You'll have to do all the work yourself; how will you survive? You must be very sad,” they said. Calmly going about his usual business, the farmer answered, "Who knows? We shall see."

Several days later a war broke out. The Emperor's men arrived in the village demanding that all the young men come with them to be conscripted into the Emperor's army.  As it happened the farmer's son was deemed unfit because of his broken leg. "What very good fortune you have," the villagers exclaimed as their own young sons were marched away. "You must be very happy." "Who knows? We shall see!" replied the old farmer as he headed off to work his field alone.

As time went on the broken leg healed but the son was left with a slight limp. Again, the neighbors came to pay their condolences. "Oh what bad luck. Too bad for you.”,  But the old farmer simply replied, "Who knows? We shall see."

As it turned out, the other young village boys died in the war and the old farmer and his son were the only able bodied men capable of working the village lands. The old farmer became wealthy and was very generous to the villagers. They said: "Oh how fortunate we are, you must be very happy", to which the old farmer replied, "Who knows? We shall see!" 

And before I forget: Merry Christmas to all who follow Old and Bold! And let’s hope the astrologers are wrong about the beginning of 2023; they seem to think something big will go bang. And things won’t improve until next April. Sheesh. I was looking forward to ‘all this’ being good and over. Not just yet. Who Knows? We shall see, right?