The Spaghetti Tribe Learns About Choices

Somewhere in a distant land, there was a tribe of peaceful people who make everything they owned out of spaghetti. Their houses, clothing, decorations, and everything else a household needs was made of spaghetti. Even their pets' leashes, collars, toys and dishes were made from spaghetti. Now, you might be wondering why they chose spaghetti to make everything from. You see, in the land this tribe lived in, spaghetti grew everywhere. It could be found growing on trees, bushes and even in the farm fields. It is safe to say that everywhere you looked, spaghetti was growing.

Everything was going well for the tribe, until one day when clouds rolled in and created darkness over the entire land. It was a strange darkness unlike any darkness the people had seen before. It was a black foreboding darkness that scared the people. There was one man among them who was two hundred years old and was considered to be the wisest of all people. Everyone began asking him what they should do, or if there was even anything they could do.

The wise man told the people to harvest as much spaghetti as they could possibly gather. The people quickly began harvesting the spaghetti. They put it into baskets, bowls, boxes and even their pockets. They gathered so much spaghetti they ran out of space in their homes to keep it. The wise man, then told the people to rest and have a bite to eat. While they did that, the wise man took a walk into the darkness.

After a little while, the people of the village began to awaken from their naps. Feeling refreshed, but still nervous about the darkness, they began wondering where the wise had gone. The people gathered together and lit fires, to break through the darkness. Some made jokes about the darkness, while others cried in despair, and others sat quietly staring at the flames of the fires before them.

The wise man returned after awhile, and told the people the darkness would soon lift and all would be better than it had been before. The people asked the wise man how he could know this? The wise man said to the people that all things last for only a little while and while some are fun, others may be scary, but all serve a purpose. Then the people asked, but what purpose does being scared serve? The wise men explained, the things that scare us, teach us many lessons like appreciating the things that are fun. Other things being scared teaches us, is how to find ways to grow stronger and learn about why the scary time is here. The fun times, allow us to relax, and learned in a different way. When things are fun, we learn because we want to not because we have to. When things are scary, we learn because we have to, and not because we want to. Each time we go through something scary, the lessons we learned from the last time we were scared can be used to help us to not be scared of the new things. As we learn and grow stronger, some things that used to scare us will be easier when we face them again, because we know how to handle them. I seen this kind of darkness before, and I know that it will end, which is why it doesn't scare me. Many of you have never seen this before, and to you it seems like there will be no end to the darkness. You learn from this, just as I learned the first time I went through this, but some lessons I cannot teach you can only learn them through experience. I will stay with you, and guide you as best I can. You will have choices along the way, but you must decide which choice to take, for I cannot make the decision for you.

The people had many questions running through their minds. Where do we start? What do we do? Will it really end? So many questions, but which to ask first? Then one of the younger members of the spaghetti tribe walked over to the wise man, and asked him to explain what a choice was, for he did not know what a choice was or how it worked?

The wise man smiled and picked up a rock and a stick, and held them up before the child. The wise men said to the child here's a choice, you may have either the rock, or the stick, but not both, which would you like? The child thought for a moment and told the wise men I would like the stick. The wise man handed the stick to the child, and explained that he just made a choice, by picking the stick you chose an item. Sometimes choices are simple like picking a rock or stick, but sometimes we need to make choices about feelings, thoughts, ideas, or anything else that may be presented to us. These choices can sometimes be difficult but they are important just the same.

The child thought, and asked would laughing about the darkness or being scared by the darkness be a choice? The wise man smiled again, and said yes, we can choose to be scared by the darkness or we can laugh about it and find ways to enjoy it. To laugh at about the darkness can sometimes make it feel less dark. Being scared and crying about it, can prolong the darkness, and make it feel like it lasts forever. The darkness will last the same amount of time for someone who cries as it does for someone who laughs, that those who have fun with the darkness will feel like it's shorter, because they aren't worried, or scared. When we worry and are afraid, time seems to take longer to pass which is what the darkness will do for those who fear the darkness.

The wise man paused for a moment, and asked the child what are you going to choose to do until the darkness lifts?

The Childs said, with a big grin on his face, I'm going to have fun with the darkness, and find ways to enjoy it, so it doesn't seem as big, or as long.

The wise men then spoke to the rest of the people, and so to them, just as this child has made a choice, so must you. When you embrace the darkness and have fun, or will you fear it and be paralyzed by it?

The people talk amongst themselves, and one man stood up, and told the wise men died he was scared of the darkness, but when he was gathering the spaghetti, the darkest in seeing this overwhelming. I am going to choose to stay busy, and do what I can to live as I would in the light in order to make the time has quicker, and hope that the darkness lifts soon. Others chose to follow this man's choice, and they too decided to do what they could, to live as they normally would. Others sat still staring at the flames before them and chose to stay near the fire, and do nothing but wait and stare the flames. Some were undecided, but they watched as those who chose to stare at the flames sat motionless, and they also watched those who chose to go about their daily life. They noticed that those were busy seemed more relaxed, while those who did nothing seemed tense and trembled at times. Many of the undecided tribe members, decided to make the choice to go about their daily business. Only a handful chose to sit and do nothing.

The wise men watched, as the members of the tribe each be their own choices, and then he decided to go for a walk and enjoy the sound of crickets chirping about in the darkness.

The hours passed, and soon, the darkness began to lift. The people began to get excited knowing that the wise man had said the darkness would lift. Those that have been busy, began remarking about how quickly the time it passed. Those who'd stared at the fires, were exciting to see the light, but talked about how they thought it would never come.

The wise man, stood up among the people, and told them he was pleased to see they had made choices, and asked the people what they learned from their choices? Some who stared at the fires, said they regretted their choice, and wished they had chosen to be busy, for their bodies hurt from being so tense and fearful. Those who had stayed busy, said they would make the same choice again should it become dark like that ever again.

The wise men said, the lesson here is that some choices might be better than others, but that everyone can make their own decision and choose for themselves when they will do. As the sky turned blue, and the birds began to chirp the people gathered once more, and had a feast to celebrate the coming of light. All was well with the spaghetti tribe once more.