life in a fish bowl

  Years ago when my daughter was still very young, she persuaded me to get her some goldfish. It took her several weeks to convince me that she would be responsible and take good care of the fishes. She promised that she would feed them, change the water, and clean the bowl. So, we went […]

soaring

  There was a young bird flying with a flock around the Great Plains of Kansas. For months he felt that he was different from all of the other birds in his flock. Occasionally he would express his feelings and the mother bird would tell him conform to the rest of the flock. He wanted […]

the fox, the tiger, the rabbit and the crab

One day a tiger was hunting around in a forest. An unlucky fox was met and caught by the tiger. For the fox, the inescapable destination was very clear — death. Despite the danger, the fox thought hard to find a way out. Promptly, the fox declared to the tiger, “How dare you kill me!” […]

the tiger, the arrow and the stone

A long time ago there was a young samurai and his fiancé who were deeply in love. One day his fiancé was walking through the forest when she was attacked and seriously mauled by a man-eating tiger! No matter what the young samurai did, nothing could save her… and she died From the depths of […]

a ball of ‘Zen’

Zen master Miko sat on the beach, absorbed in nature’s beauty and existence. Watching the waves splash upon the shore when a beach ball come sailing over head and as it approached the Master, Miko simply raised his arms, opened his hands and caught the ball. He marveled at it a moment as a student run […]

busy as a beaver

(I have always used the term, “Busy as a Beaver in a flood.” Lately, I have been pretty busy. Spring is here, the grass is growing faster than I can give it a ‘hair cut’… putting in a garden/flowers, and spending time with family and fishing with friends, not to mention work. When I read […]

fishing for life

A disgruntled fisherman named John sits on a dock alone early one morning. He’s fished on the same dock for fifteen years receiving the same results. In four hours he will catch only two fish and then go home. These are John’s thoughts… “There’s no fish in this pond, I probably have a defective fishing […]

teacher (the cow)

  Industrialist C. J. Bastee was a successful businessman, whose motto was to work hard and be hard, proved it everyday by cutting cost to the bone no matter what the cost to workers or their safety. Matter of fact, his worker’s fear made him feel more important. He would use every opportunity to intimidate […]

the flower and the stone

  “You have hardened”, said the flower, bending her petals downward toward the half stone at her roots. “These rains should have softened you, made you more fertile and receptive to the seeds of the fields; but no. You have accumulated minerals and have become more silent and full of calcium. Why do you stay […]

the rabbit (egotism)

Scene: It’s a fine sunny day in the forest, and a rabbit is sitting outside his burrow, tippy-tapping on his typewriter. Along comes a fox, out for a walk. Fox “What are you working on?” Rabbit “My thesis.” Fox “Hmmm. What’s it about?” Rabbit “Oh, I’m writing about how rabbits eat foxes.” (incredulous pause) Fox […]