Today’s Thinking Out Loud reflection is on Aesop’s Fable, The Lion and the Mouse. Aesop’s Fables is available for free download here.
The Fable
“A Lion asleep in his lair was waked up by a Mouse running over
his face. Losing his temper he seized it with his paw and was about
to kill it. The Mouse, terrified, piteously entreated him to spare
its life. “Please let me go,” it cried, “and one day I will repay
you for your kindness.” The idea of so insignificant a creature
ever being able to do anything for him amused the Lion so much that
he laughed aloud, and good-humoredly let it go. But the Mouse’s
chance came, after all. One day the Lion got entangled in a net
which had been spread for game by some hunters, and the Mouse heard
and recognized his roars of anger and ran to the spot. Without more
ado it set to work to gnaw the ropes with its teeth, and succeeded
before long in setting the Lion free. “There!” said the Mouse, “you
laughed at me when I promised I would repay you: but now you see,
even a Mouse can help a Lion.”
Note: We need each other. Our work may seem insignificant, but it’s not. All work is honorable and significant. My mom worked in a shoe shop for much of her adult life. She worked piece-time, e.g., she was paid by how many pieces she could process in a day. Somewhere on our planet someone was wearing shoes that she contributed in small part to their making. My dad worked in shoe shops, tended bar, and worked as a custodian. All three jobs may appear insignificant, but each job brought benefit to other people. The work you do is significant. Honor it, be grateful for it.