Anecdote: The Slow Farmer Misses the Bombing of Hiroshima

[pastor's wife]

Anyone ever hear this story?

Quote:There once was a fellow who, with his dad, farmed a little piece of land. Several times a year they would load up the old ox-drawn cart with vegetables and go into the nearest city to sell their produce. Except for their name and patch of ground, father and son had little in common. The old man believed in taking it easy. The boy was usually in a hurry -- the go-getter type.

One morning, bright and early, they hitched up the ox to the loaded cart and started on the long journey. The son figured that if they walked faster, kept going all day and night, they'd make the market by early the next morning. So he kept prodding the ox with a stick, urging the beast to get a move on.

"Take it easy, son" said the old man. "You'll last longer."

"But if we get to the market ahead of the others, we'll have a better chance of getting good prices," argued the son.

No reply. Dad just pulled his hat down over his eyes and fell asleep on the seat. Itchy and irritated, the young man kept goading the ox to walk faster. His stubborn pace refused to change.

Four hours and four miles down the road, they came to a little house. The father woke up, smiled and said, "Here's your uncle's place. Let's stop in and say "hello."

"But we've lost an hour already," complained the hotshot.

"Then a few more minutes won't matter. My brother and I live so close, yet we see each other so seldom," the father answered slowly.

The boy fidgeted and fumed while the two old men laughed and talked away almost an hour. On the move again, the man took his turn leading the ox. As they approached a fork in the road, the father led the ox to the right.

"The left is the shorter way," said the son.

"I know it," replied the old man, "but this way is so much prettier."

"Have you no respect for time?: the young man asked impatiently.

"Oh, I respect it very much! That's why I like to look at beauty and enjoy each moment to the fullest."

The winding path led through graceful meadows, wildflowers and along a rippling stream - all of which the young man missed as he churned within, preoccupied and boiling with anxiety. He didn't even notice how lovely the sunset was that day.

Twilight found them in what looked like a huge, colorful garden. The old man breathed in the aroma, listened to the bubbling brook, and pulled the ox to a halt. "Let's sleep here," he sighed.

"This is the last trip I'm taking with you," snapped his son. "You're more interested in watching sunsets and smelling flowers then in making money!"

"Why, that's the nicest thing you've said in a long time," smiled the dad. A couple of minutes later he was snoring - as his boy glared back at the stars. The night dragged slowly, the son was restless.

Before sunrise the young man hurriedly shook the father awake. They hitched up and went on. About a mile down the road they happened upon another farmer - a total stranger - trying to pull his cart out of a ditch.

"Let's give him a hand," whispered the old man.

"And lose more time?" the boy exploded.

"Relax, son ... you might be in a ditch yourself. We need to help others in need - don't forget that." The boy looked away in anger.

It was almost eight o'clock that morning by the time the other cart was back on the road. Suddenly, a great flash split the sky. What sounded like thunder followed. Beyond the hills, the sky grew dark.

"Looks like big rain in the city," said the old man.

"If we had hurried, we'd be almost sold out by now," grumbled his son.

"Take it easy ... you'll last longer. And you'll enjoy life so much more," counseled the kind old gentlemen.

It was late in the afternoon by the time they got to the hill overlooking the city. They stopped and stared down at it for a long time. Neither of them said a word. Finally, the young man put his hand on his father's shoulder and said, "I see what you mean Dad."

They turned their cart around and began to roll slowly away from what had once been the city of Hiroshima.

I know this isn't a story expressly for fundies, but I recently came across it in a book that is emphasizing all the things you should DO to be right with God. The book is bugging me a little bit because I'm also reading "Grace for the Good Girl" and reveling in the beauty of grace and not really feeling up to the burdens of a list of rules right now.

But back to the anecdote: I do like the story. The father cares about relationships, beauty, and compassion; the son just wants to get ahead to try to make more money. OBVIOUSLY, the father is right and the son is wrong.

However, I'm feeling a little contrary today and you could rewrite the whole story to make a totally different point.

My Rewrite:

Quote:There once was a girl who, with her mother, lived in a small house in the city. Every year they planned a vacation to the country. Mother and daughter actually had little in common. The old woman fussed and worried about everything. The girl was a go-getter type.

One morning, bright and early, they got up to pack for their trip. The mother worried if she had packed everything. "Mom, it's OK! We packed very carefully yesterday!" said the daughter, but the mom insisted on goingn through everything in the suitcase just in case they'd left something out. "You're always in a hurry, child! You don't want to be out in the country and need a sweater that you left back here at home!" she said as she reevaluated everything she'd packed.

"Mom, let's get going! I don't want to miss the bus!" said the daughter. But the mother fretted about which coat she should wear and which shoes would be the most comfortable and whined how the daughter was too pushy.

Finally, they headed down the street to catch the bus to the country. But then the mom stopped. "I don't think I turned off the stove! I'll never relax this trip if I don't go back and check." So they went back to the house; the stove was fine. They relocked the door and headed back to the bus stop, only to find that they'd missed the bus and would have to wait until the next morning. "Now we'll miss the whole first day of our vacation!" said the daughter. "It doesn't matter; we'll just go tomorrow," said her mom.

But the next morning was the day the Enola Gay flew over Hiroshima.

I could have also rewritten the story to show the mom lovingly delaying the trip to care for a sick neighbor and help a little boy find his lost puppy. Even if she was kind-hearted, in this case her delay would have caused her death.

I guess what I find triggering is
1) the older person being right; the young person being wrong. (This reminds me of the "old paths" and the way anyone trying to do anything different is often vilified in IFB churches.)
2) the implication that if you are loving and caring and thoughtful, you'll avoid being pulverized. Just because you do right doesn't mean you'll get rewarded.

So in other words, if the story is saying, "Taking time to care for others is the most important thing in life", of course I'd agree with it. But my fundy triggers are going off at the implication of "See? If you'd hurried, you would have gotten KILLED!!!" I guess it also goes back to my mom questioning a very significant choice my husband and I made. With eyebrows raised, her mouth pursed, and disapproval in her tone, she said, "I HOPE you won't regret this." Well, I hope I won't regret it too! But threatening people with vague presentiments of disaster every time they do something you disapprove of is manipulative.

[exOBCstudent]

These sound WAY too much like fundy sermon stories!

A. There is always a good/bad choice to be made.

B. The "righteous" always get away.

C. Someone always ends up in a tragic ugly death.

D. The point is hurled at you to bring guilt.

I don't miss hearing these at all.

[Scorpio]

Here's my fundy version of a similiar story:

A few years ago there was a young man who happened to wander into an IFB tent meeting. He heard preaching right out of the 1611 AV.

He did not come forward at the invitation. On his way home he was decapitated in a horrible accident with an ice cream truck.

The End.

[aisforazebra]

I remember in winter time (I grew up near Buffalo, NY), we were once told we should repent asap because we could die any time - who knows, you could walk out of church and have one of those huge icicles fall onto your head/chest and kill you!

I was, like, 10. And to this day I don't like to stand under a roof with icicles hanging off it...

[HazelEyed]

"But threatening people with vague presentiments of disaster every time they do something you disapprove of is manipulative."

Good quote. Very true.

[Tiarali]

Ok, I know I'm not up on all the facts, but I suspect that someone who had gotten that close to Hiroshima so soon after the bomb dropped would die a slow and painful death anyway.

Also, shouldn't we also be hard workers and use our time wisely? Shouldn't there be some balance? But that would require the admission that there are shades of grey in this picture, and fundies LOVE black and white

[Discovering Life]

(01-11-2012 04:15 PM)HazelEyed Wrote:  "But threatening people with vague presentiments of disaster every time they do something you disapprove of is manipulative."

Good quote. Very true.

Ditto.

Sometimes I wonder my "emotional manipulation alert" meter is a little too sensitive thanks to years of giving and receiving similar kinds of passive-aggressive responses in the IFB world. It seems like you could never just say "I disagree with your choice" any disagreement had to be implied (often by tone or body language) or scripturallized in some way. For example "I just don't have peace about your decision", "Have you REALLY prayed about this?", "Perhaps you should talk to-name of "mature" believer-about this", "Are you SURE this is God's Will for you?", etc. etc.

[Qrayze]

(01-11-2012 07:43 PM)tiarali Wrote:  Ok, I know I'm not up on all the facts, but I suspect that someone who had gotten that close to Hiroshima so soon after the bomb dropped would die a slow and painful death anyway.

Also, shouldn't we also be hard workers and use our time wisely? Shouldn't there be some balance? But that would require the admission that there are shades of grey in this picture, and fundies LOVE black and white

And only traveling four miles in four hours??? How slow was that ox going? Even the agverage overweight american can walk at 3 mph!

[redbeardiam]

(01-11-2012 02:29 PM)Scorpio Wrote:  Here's my fundy version of a similiar story:

A few years ago there was a young man who happened to wander into an IFB tent meeting. He heard preaching right out of the 1611 AV.

He did not come forward at the invitation. On his way home he was decapitated in a horrible accident with an ice cream truck.

The End.

Wait, I know that one! That guy was childhood friends with an evangelist I heard once!

Thanks for the laugh, I needed it. =D

[JoeR]

(01-11-2012 07:43 PM)tiarali Wrote:  Ok, I know I'm not up on all the facts, but I suspect that someone who had gotten that close to Hiroshima so soon after the bomb dropped would die a slow and painful death anyway.

Hmmm...that sounds like discernment to me...

Actually, that's exactly what I was thinking. The effects of nuclear fallout would have been worse that dying instantly in the blast.