FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Editorials by Robert Kirwan

Keeping The Spirit Of Valley East Alive Will Only Happen If We All Share In The Work As Well As The Benefits

Now Is Our Opportunity To Demonstrate How Much We Really Want Keep This Community Alive......

I always love when September comes around. It is time for a new beginning. It’s a time when you can throw away the problems of the past and start all over again, with a fresh slate. This year is even more special because it is the Centennial Year of Valley East. That means that we can all get a little boost of energy as we make our New Centennial Resolutions. And one of the resolutions I think we should all make is to go out of our way to share in the workload of making this great community of Valley East even better.

For as long as I can remember, we have counted on volunteers to organize special events and fund-raisers so that money could be donated for a wide variety of community activities and ventures. However, in recent years, I have discovered that the number of volunteers actually willing to do the work is diminishing, while the number of people who have their "hands out in search of their share of the pie" has increased. This is not good - and it must change, or we will soon find that the hard-working volunteers and charitable organizations will follow the example of the Little Red Hen in the story that follows. It is one of my favourites, and I think that this is the perfect time for me to share it with you again. As you are reading it, think of the volunteers who work so hard to organize special events like the Valley East Days Parade and the Valley East Fun Day. Think of how they feel, if after doing so much to organize these events, the people for whom they are doing the work fail to show their support and attend the functions or to help out in a small way by purchasing tickets and making donations. Think about what Valley East and Capreol would be like if all of the Little Red Hens in the community finally said, "Enough is enough. It’s time to stop."

THE LITTLE RED HEN

One day a little red hen scratched about in the barnyard until she gathered some grains of wheat. She called her neighbours and said, "If we plant this wheat, we shall have bread to eat. Who will help me plant?"

"Not I," said the cow.

"Not I," said the duck.

"Not I," said the pig.

"Not I," said the goose.

"Then I will," said the little red hen. And she did. The wheat grew tall and ripened into golden grain.

"Who will help me reap my wheat?" asked the little red hen.

"Not I," said the duck. "I have other plans."

"I’d have to leave my comfortable pen," said the pig.

"I have to watch not to hurt my back," said the cow.

"I don’t want to ruffle my freshly cleaned feathers," said the goose.

"Then I will," said the little red hen, and she did.

At last it was time to bake the bread. "Who will help me bake the bread?" asked the little red hen.

"That would be overtime for me," said the duck.

"I’m waiting for a friend to come over," said the pig.

"I never learned how when I was in school," said the cow.

"I think I will wait for something better to come along," said the goose.

"Then I will," said the little red hen. She baked five loaves and held them up for her neighbours to see.

They all wanted some, and in fact, even demanded a share. But the little red hen said, "No. I can eat the five loaves myself."

"You have more than you need," said the duck.

"You are being greedy," said the pig.

"How can you let us go hungry when you have so much," said the cow.

"You don’t care about your neighbours," said the goose.

And they painted "unfair" picket signs and marched around and around the little red hen, shouting obscenities.

When the farmer showed up, he said to the little red hen, "You mustn’t be greedy."

"But I earned the bread," said the little red hen.

"Exactly," said the farmer. "That’s the wonderful free enterprise system. Anyone in the barnyard can earn as much as he wants. But in our modern system, the productive workers must divide their profits with the idle."

And so the little red hen took her share - one loaf of bread - and went back home.

The duck, the pig, the cow and the goose all took one loaf of bread as their share and they too went on their way home to enjoy the fresh feast.

And they lived happily ever after, including the little red hen, who smiled and chuckled, "I am so grateful to live in a country which will look after me. I am so grateful."

But her neighbours wondered why she never baked any more bread.

Let’s show our volunteers and community groups that we care. Support their activities and search for ways to help out whenever you can. They’re doing it for you!

 
 

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