Inner Vision

There is a man who lives in the county. each day this man begins his day at three-thirty in the morning. He drives a little bus from the country into the big city. He drives the people who live in the country to their very important jobs in the big city. He knows their jobs are very important because they tell him so. He believes them because his heart is pure. ------- In the early evening, the man, whose name is Michael, waits patiently for the people to finish their work, at their very important jobs, to board his bus. Michael, whose name I have changed out of respect for his privacy; I have given him the name of an Arch-angel, as the purpose of the man who drives the bus is to keep his passengers safe. From the city to the country, Michael must drive over many hills. He must navigate his bus full of passengers through the daily chaos of traffic. Their safety and comfort is his main concern. ------- Michael works very hard at his job, but never complains. He smiles at his passengers when they board and disembark. He smiles at each and every one of them, whether they smile at him or not. ------- At the end of his work day, he returns to his cabin in the deep woods, in the country, where his family, and three dogs, wait eagerly to greet him. They eat their evening meal together, and retire early. ------- Each day is much the same as the next. Until one day, a stuffed monkey boarded his bus! Michael had driven a bus for many years, but had never seen such a thing. A stuffed little monkey, dressed in blue, paid his fare, and sat down as politely as possible in one of the empty seats. The other passengers eyed this stuffed monkey suspiciously. ------- The little brown monkey was old and worn, his stitching was loose, and frayed. He was missing a nose, and one amber-colored eye. ------- The other passengers were rude to him. They made fun of him, and spread cruel lies, rumors and gossip about him. ------- The little brown monkey did not respond in kind. He remained silent, but Michael, the driver, could sense there was a deep sadness in the little brown monkey in the sky-blue suit. The other passengers were not impressed with this strange new passenger, after all, they had very important jobs to go to. "That stuffed monkey obviously does not!" They said to themselves. ------ The little brown monkey simply liked to ride the bus each day, as he had no family, or friends, nor did he he have a home. -------- Time Passed. -------- The passengers with very important jobs grew more and more emboldened in their cruelty towards the little brown monkey, who as usual would never respond in kind. ------- The other passengers confused his gentle nature with weakness, and they chose to be all the more hate-filled towards the monkey. ------- Michael would witness their behavior through his rear-view mirror. ------- Years Passed. ------- The little brown monkey rode the bus less, though he he never told a soul, it began to hurt too much to be the byword, the laughingstock of an entire town. -------- "Better to be alone," He thought. "What good am I?" He asked himself, "A stuffed monkey, old and worn, with no nose, and a missing amber-colored eye. Only God could love one such as myself, and God does not seem to be on this bus, or to live in this town." ------- The little brown monkey's perceptions were based on the way the passengers treated him on the bus, and by the way the people ridiculed and shunned him in the town. ------- Then, one day unlike any other day, Michael the driver of the bus had seen enough through his rear-view mirror. ------- He waited for the passengers, with the very important jobs, to disembark. Michael stood up from his seat, and approached the little brown monkey, and gave him a warm embrace. ------- "I have something for you, " Michael said in a soothing voice. He took out a travel-sized sewing kit, and began to repair the little brown monkey's frayed stitching. Michael also produced, from his pocket, a beautiful black button. "I know this is not amber, but it will do for an eye. I'm afraid I couldn't find a suitable nose, though. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me?" Michael said, as he severed the last thread. ------- He gave the little brown monkey a very long good-bye hug. "I won't be driving this bus anymore. It is time for a change, so, I have asked to be assigned a different route. But, I just wanted you to know before I left, that I SEE you." Michael smiled as he held the little brown monkey's tiny hand. -------The little brown monkey looked lovingly into the eyes of the man who drove the bus, and said, "I SEE you too." ------- The heart enables one to attain Inner Vision, to see that which matters, all else is unnecessary distraction.