to Poke outside
by the cooking fire, as an old man slowly ambled up the path. “I
don’t know why,” said Samuel, “but I am restless. I don’t sleep
well at night and I find myself daydreaming a lot. What is wrong
with me?”
“I am sorry to hear, but I don’t know,” said
Poke. “Ah, just the man we need.” The old man walked slowly up to
the fire. “How are you, Methuselah?”
“Doing well,” said the old man. “May I ask
who this is?”
“This is Samuel. He has come from the city to
live with us, but he is troubled.”
“As the Master says to bear one another’s
burdens, I would feel privileged to bear yours. What is it that
troubles you?”
“I was just saying to Poke that I cannot
sleep at night and I cannot concentrate during the day. I don’t
mind working and I have often helped Sydney or others who have
employment around here, but still my mind wanders.”
“Ah,” said Methuselah, “sometimes when the
mind wanders it is searching for a place to land. What are your
tenets?”
“Tenets?” asked Samuel.
“What do you live by?”
“The only tenet I have had is one that was
handed to me, and it goes like this: Be part of the solution, and
not part of the problem.”
“Then I think you have your solution.” Then
turning to Poke. “Might I have a sip of tea while this young man
works out his puzzle? I find my mouth unusually dry today.”
***
That evening the stars were so bright Samuel
seemed to see the curve of the earth above him. They were so bright
he could walk by starlight, and so he did. The terrain here was dry
with scrub brush here and there, so he could walk in almost any
direction without hindrance.
The only noise was that of crickets and the
sound of the slow wind. It was a warm night, a summer’s night.
Be part of the solution and not part of the
problem. How could he do this? He knew what the problem was. The
city. Living like that was destructive to everyone there. And if
what Wallace had said was true, it was only going to get worse. But
how could he be part of the solution? It seemed that the solutions
was out here, among these stars and in this silence. The only
solution was to leave the city and come to the Waldenese, where
life was simpler. Where things made sense. But how could he help
them do that?
Tired from chopping wood earlier in the day
and his long walk, Samuel headed back to the house. Wallace was
still up when he got back. “Can’t sleep?” Wallace asked as he
walked in the door. Candlelight flickered against the walls.
“No, I’m trying to figure out a puzzle.”
“A puzzle?” asked Wallace with a sparkle in
his eyes. “I love a good puzzle.”
“Then here it is. How can I become part of
the solution rather than part of the problem?”
“What is the problem?” asked Wallace.
“That people in the city are trapped. That
things will only get worse, but they don’t see it, and they will
remain in their snare.”
Wallace sat in silence for a moment. “But we
found a way out.”
“Yes, but we almost didn’t. Remember? We were
almost caught. And you know what happens when you are caught. They
send you in for reprogramming.”
“That is true, we were almost caught.”
Another pause. “It sure would have been nice if someone would have
helped us get out when we needed it.” The silence after that
statement was pregnant with meaning.
Both men looked at each other, and Wallace
smiled. “I figured out the puzzle, didn’t I?”
“You did.”
Chapter 24
That next evening, after everyone had
finished their work, Samuel called a meeting of the village. This
was not a hard thing to do. He had Sydney, who was well respected,
call everyone together. When they had assembled outside Poke and
Sydney’s house, he stood in the middle of a large circle of
people.
“I know that I am new to this area and I
thank you for your hospitality. I was lucky to even escape the
Technophiles, as you call them. But now I want to go back.”
“Go
by the cooking fire, as an old man slowly ambled up the path. “I
don’t know why,” said Samuel, “but I am restless. I don’t sleep
well at night and I find myself daydreaming a lot. What is wrong
with me?”
“I am sorry to hear, but I don’t know,” said
Poke. “Ah, just the man we need.” The old man walked slowly up to
the fire. “How are you, Methuselah?”
“Doing well,” said the old man. “May I ask
who this is?”
“This is Samuel. He has come from the city to
live with us, but he is troubled.”
“As the Master says to bear one another’s
burdens, I would feel privileged to bear yours. What is it that
troubles you?”
“I was just saying to Poke that I cannot
sleep at night and I cannot concentrate during the day. I don’t
mind working and I have often helped Sydney or others who have
employment around here, but still my mind wanders.”
“Ah,” said Methuselah, “sometimes when the
mind wanders it is searching for a place to land. What are your
tenets?”
“Tenets?” asked Samuel.
“What do you live by?”
“The only tenet I have had is one that was
handed to me, and it goes like this: Be part of the solution, and
not part of the problem.”
“Then I think you have your solution.” Then
turning to Poke. “Might I have a sip of tea while this young man
works out his puzzle? I find my mouth unusually dry today.”
***
That evening the stars were so bright Samuel
seemed to see the curve of the earth above him. They were so bright
he could walk by starlight, and so he did. The terrain here was dry
with scrub brush here and there, so he could walk in almost any
direction without hindrance.
The only noise was that of crickets and the
sound of the slow wind. It was a warm night, a summer’s night.
Be part of the solution and not part of the
problem. How could he do this? He knew what the problem was. The
city. Living like that was destructive to everyone there. And if
what Wallace had said was true, it was only going to get worse. But
how could he be part of the solution? It seemed that the solutions
was out here, among these stars and in this silence. The only
solution was to leave the city and come to the Waldenese, where
life was simpler. Where things made sense. But how could he help
them do that?
Tired from chopping wood earlier in the day
and his long walk, Samuel headed back to the house. Wallace was
still up when he got back. “Can’t sleep?” Wallace asked as he
walked in the door. Candlelight flickered against the walls.
“No, I’m trying to figure out a puzzle.”
“A puzzle?” asked Wallace with a sparkle in
his eyes. “I love a good puzzle.”
“Then here it is. How can I become part of
the solution rather than part of the problem?”
“What is the problem?” asked Wallace.
“That people in the city are trapped. That
things will only get worse, but they don’t see it, and they will
remain in their snare.”
Wallace sat in silence for a moment. “But we
found a way out.”
“Yes, but we almost didn’t. Remember? We were
almost caught. And you know what happens when you are caught. They
send you in for reprogramming.”
“That is true, we were almost caught.”
Another pause. “It sure would have been nice if someone would have
helped us get out when we needed it.” The silence after that
statement was pregnant with meaning.
Both men looked at each other, and Wallace
smiled. “I figured out the puzzle, didn’t I?”
“You did.”
Chapter 24
That next evening, after everyone had
finished their work, Samuel called a meeting of the village. This
was not a hard thing to do. He had Sydney, who was well respected,
call everyone together. When they had assembled outside Poke and
Sydney’s house, he stood in the middle of a large circle of
people.
“I know that I am new to this area and I
thank you for your hospitality. I was lucky to even escape the
Technophiles, as you call them. But now I want to go back.”
“Go
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