The old wise man of the forest

Not long ago in a far away land I met this wise old man who came from a far away place. A majestic man by outward appearances. Silver gray hair and beard to match, standing 6ft. 2 with piercing blue eyes. The weathered look on his face showed years of overcoming struggles to survive. And yet there was a strange peace within that seemed to glow every time he smiled.

I was very lucky to have come across this wandering minstrel of worldly knowledge and experience. The days we spent in those woods back then I had wished would never end. But, somehow I knew that we had to part. The knowledge I gained and the lessons I learned have served me well ever since. Although he never told me his name, only that he came from a far away place. A place where life was full of goodness and virtue. Somehow I knew from the worry-worn face that showed the anguish and torment of the seasons spent wandering from place to place why he chose the solitude of the woods.

Without tools to speak only of his ingenuity, this wise old man of the forest taught me the value of life and how the goodness of man can humble himself to overcome adversity. How benevolence can restore compassion and empathy towards all living things. But somehow, from the strange look on his face when he spoke of these things, I knew that my world has yet to realize and practice the goodness and virtuous side of man. The dark side of contempt, jealousy, and hate alone has only made our world more hostile and volatile.

Now, many years have passed since I wandered with that wise old man of the woods. I have seen humanity wither and decay more with each passing year. The knowledge I gained so many years ago has only increased my determination to try to teach people what that wise old man taught me. However, the frustration only encouraged me to persevere. But, many times many are not willing to accept his character defects. Defects that have done nothing more than strengthen a combative attitude to accept any change that benefits not only themselves but the whole of society.

I have since seen this in the halls of government of late, where elected officials in their lust for power, wealth and control have outpaced their actions. Actions that continue to deny the goodness and virtuous side of humanity to overcome and extinguish the obstruction that prevents humanity from fostering empathy, compassion and benevolence towards all living things. The consequences of your actions continue to have far-reaching effects in diminishing the quality of life. The really ironic sad reality today is that so many just can’t vanish into the woods and survive like that wise old man. Society has evolved in some aspects. But, in many other ways we have regressed as a society. Now, much of our existence depends on materialism. A society that has now transformed the individualism and self-sufficiency that we had more than 150 years ago into dependence.

When society becomes dependent on a government that is clearly indifferent to its needs, as we are seeing today, that society can no longer maintain a neutral stance toward bogus policies. Policies that continue to keep our society trapped in a quagmire of ongoing crisis. And, therefore, today what that old man taught me so many years ago has been placed at the forefront of conscientious societies. We have to realize that we can really overcome the adverse effects of the lack of empathy that our government has shown towards its citizens. And when we do, society can truly evolve into a brighter and more compassionate future.