The parable of the short guy and the tall guy

Often when I'm in a meditative state, or otherwise high alpha wave state, I'll find myself writing stories in my mind. Some I have written and edited and returned to in my mind over years. This is one I imagine would be a halftime rally, or commencement speech.

There were these two kids, they lived in the same neighborhood. The short kid lived in a short small house, and a tall kid who lived in a big tall house. When they were old enough to go to school they would run during P/E. The tall kid was fast, man he was fast, and the short kid was slow. In fact the tall guy would win every race, and the short kid was last every time.

But that didn't deter the short kid, he ran hard every day. In fact, he'd wake up before school to run in the morning to get faster. Now we know how these stories go, the jock may be fast but he's so fast he's got to be stupid right? Not this tall guy, he was smart too, he got good grades and was really popular. And every morning the short guy would run.

When they got to high-school, the tall guy was fastest on the track team, the short guy barely made the team but he was on it. They'd run against each other now, and some times the short guy wouldn't be slowest, in fact he was getting faster. They tall guy slept in in the mornings, and every morning the short guy would run.

And this went on into college, they went to the same college, both ran on the track teams, and now the short guy was fast, he would sometimes take second place to the tall guy but never beat him. One night before a race the short guy saw the tall guy drinking beer and he thought for sure he would be able to beat him in the morning, but as it turns out, the tall guy showed up from a night of binge drinking and still ran as fast as ever. So the tall guy would drink at night, and every morning the short guy would run.

Eventually, they found themselves at the olympics, and they were the two fastest men in the world. The short guy knew now that he had worked hard his whole life, and the tall guy had partied. And when the gun fired and the race started, the short guy was ahead. They came around the final turn and the short guy knew he was finally going to win, but he felt the tall guy gaining on him and right as they crossed the finish line he passed him. The tall guy won. The stadium emptied, both the men's racing careers were over.

Years later the tall guy was out in shopping and he saw the short guy, at first he wasn't going to say anything, but the short guy saw him and his eyes lit up and he smiled and he said "Tall guy! How have you been, we should visit, come over for dinner tonight to my house!"

When the tall guy drove to the address of the short guys house he couldn't believe it, the house was a mansion, and the cars in the driveway were new and fast. When he went through the short guys front door he saw trophies, some from when they raced together but there were others too. Trophies from tennis, and chess, there were diplomas and certificates and honorary degrees, and even a medal from the President.

The short guy and his wife cooked dinner, they had gone to culinary class together and the food was amazing. After dinner, the short guys children asked permission to be excused because they had to do homework for tomorrow.

Now it was just the tall guy and the short guy talking together and the tall guy asked "Short guy, I don't understand it. Our whole lives, I was faster than you, I was smarter than you, I always beat you. But now looking back, you have so much more than me, you're wealthy, well traveled, have a beautiful family and you seem genuinely happy. How can that be?"

The short guy thought for a moment as he pondered his rivals question and then he answered, "Tall guy, you were born fast. I can't deny it. You were born smart and handsome, and you born to be a runner. I wasn't. I wasn't born to be anything, I had no destiny laid before me. I had to work harder than you, I had to run every morning just to lose to you in the end. Yeah tall guy, you were born to great. But me? I made myself into a runner. You were born for this, I made myself the way I am."


Thanks for listening guys, please read in the voice of The Rock or Jocko Willink.

Keep fighting.

 

Lol yeah.

Thanks man!