By BC Cook
For Variety
THERE is a good chance you know this story of a version of it:
A farmer has a horse that is loyal and dependable. In fact, the man could not live or feed his family without it. One day the horse ran away and all the villagers said it was terrible, to which the farmer shrugged and said “maybe.” A few days later the horse returned with six more horses it came across in the wild. The villagers all said it was a terrific thing, to which the farmer said “maybe.”
When the farmer’s son tried to tame one of the wild horses, it threw him off so violently it broke the man’s leg. All the villagers said it was a tragedy, but the farmer simply said “maybe.” The following week two men came from the government. There was an unpopular war being fought and they needed the farmer’s son to join the fight, but since his leg was broken he could not go. The villagers sighed relief and said it was a great stroke of good luck, but the farmer simply said “maybe.”
Many important life lessons are contained in this story. The villagers reacted to every event as if it was isolated, not connected to any larger view, but the farmer took a broader perspective. Any one of these events could be seen as uniquely good or bad on its own but life rarely works that way. Good things often come in unpleasant packages and curses can arrive disguised as blessings. A man’s wife cheats on him and runs away, only for the man to find the true love of his life. A woman loses her job only to land a much better one. Garth Brooks once sang that some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.
The story also contains a life lesson about avoiding highs and lows and sticking to a middle course. The villagers swung from one extreme to the other based on events of the day, whereas the farmer took everything in stride and did not overreact. Have you ever watched the news and thought the world was falling apart only to hear something that made you think everything was going to be alright? That is why news broadcasts begin with disaster and always finish with a nice warm story about a found puppy or a good Samaritan.
The farmer’s story contains another life lesson about not jumping to conclusions. The villagers quickly praised or condemned the development based on initial reports, while the farmer held off drawing conclusions based on limited information. Rather, he chose to see how the situation played out, and in every case things ended not how anyone could have predicted.
What other life lessons do you see in this story?
Dr. BC Cook taught history for 30 years and is a director and Pacific historian at Sealark Exploration (sealarkexploration.org). He currently lives in Hawaii.
