Spring 2001 - News in Psychic Counseling

 

SAVING BABIES

Several years ago, a favorite priest…  and there aren't many!…  told me this story.  I retell it here in hopes it will be instructive for you, but mainly I need to keep reminding myself how valuable the concepts are and how I need to keep examining my life to see where I need this story.

The parable:

In a country village a peasant woman was working in her fields by the river, when she happened to notice a baby floating down the river.  Horrified, she ran into the river and saved the baby!  Certainly a natural instinct we all would do.

Soon she turned to the river and noticed another baby floating in the water so she again rushed into the water and saved the baby.  But before she could get out, yet another baby was floating toward her.  Then another and another.  In a panic, she called for help and her neighbors came to help.  But no matter how many people came to help, there were still more babies.  Ever more babies and ever more villagers to save the day.

Except for one man.  He came to the edge of the river and watched the scene of rescue.  Then he turned and walked away.

“What a heartless man!  How can you turn your back on this desperate scene?  How can you not help save babies from drowning?  Where would you go at a time like this?”

As the man rushed from the scene, he called over his shoulder: “I'm going upstream to make them stop putting babies in the river!”

This simple story has many compelling elements that you may want to relate to your own life.

The babies.  Very seductive and compelling.  Who could not want to save them.  But what do they represent in your life?  What are the things that pull and seduce you so much that you can't stand back for a minute and examine your life's scene?

The villagers.  They can't be faulted.  They do what we all would do.  They leap into the situation and rescue.  But they don't stop to examine the greater picture and are therefore left picking up the pieces caused by someone or something else.  These babies are not of their making, yet they are stuck with saving them.

The river.  That neutral force that brings us what we call life.  It can't be stopped and isn't the cause.

And the man.  How did he gain the strength to stand back from such a potent scene and evaluate it in greater terms?  What courage it must have taken to not be pulled into the situation.

Finally, the source upstream.  This element isn't even in the story, yet it's the most important part.  And this leads to the question that I need to keep asking myself, and challenge you to ask of yourself.

How do we go upstream and change situations at the source, when we're so involved downstream picking up the pieces?

You might review your life and see where this story is or should be an illustration.

In my life, I think of my work as mayor of my small town.  We currently have two major lawsuits the city fights to stop surface mining in the scenic town.  I firmly believe one of the reasons we have the lawsuits is because others know we are small and have little money to fight.  And as long as I focus on the lawsuits, that will remain true.  So instead, I'm focusing on finding major revenue sources so our coffers will be full and ready for the fight, hopefully warding off would-be suits.

On an even more personal basis, I can see this story illustrated in my body, and perhaps you can see it in your body.  Like many, I spend countless hours working off excess calories and grams of fat.  I worry about having enough energy to do all I need to do.  But these are 'downstream' issues compared to the real issue upstream which is what I put in my mouth!  When I take charge upstream of what I put in the river, I don't have to worry so much about the downstream effects.  It's called 'going to the source.'

And lest you think this simple story of saving babies is just a parable, be aware that as I write this I notice on the Internet news a story of a missing shipload of children abducted to be sold as slaves.  The ship's crew knows they are being sought and the fear is that they will get rid of the evidence by throwing the children overboard.  I feel like throwing up just writing this.

All I can think to do is in the 'downstream' position on this one.  Write to congress.  Call the President.  Where do I go to be effective upstream?  What can I do to change the climate so this wouldn't happen?

Not all situations are easily solved.  Perhaps in your life you'll find situations where you can stand back, evaluate where you are, then go upstream and find a way to correct the situation at its source, thus saving you enormous energy fixing the problem downstream.

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