Once, a traveler was walking on the road, thinking about how predictable people are. In the last year, he had not seen anything new and unexpected. He encountered another man who was apparently blind and, with the aid of a long stick, was feeling the way forward upon his intended path. One thing about him immediately left an impression: this blind man wore a piece of cloth wrapped around his head, covering his eyes. Puzzled, the traveler stopped him and asked “Hail fellow, well met. Are you blind, or have you just blindfolded yourself?”
The blind man replied, “I’m blind by birth, traveler.”
The traveler continued his appraisal, “Then why have you wrapped that cloth over your eyes? Maybe you’re worried about your appearance, or are you perhaps afraid that you will start seeing again?”
“I am protecting my eyes from the dust,” stated the blind man.
The traveler glanced around and saw only green meadows and verdant trees, and not a speck of dust. He asked, “What dust are you talking about, my good man?”
“For whoever comes from newspapers, radio, political quarrels and political resolutions! This dust enters through the eyes and seeps straight into the heart and soul of a person, and makes one ill mentally and physically. It’s good to keep oneself in good health, isn’t it?”, answered the blind man, continuing on his way.
The traveler contemplated this for a while, then wrapped some cloth over his eyes and resumed his journey, guiding himself with a long stick that helped him navigate the path ahead. He decided that he would start living a healthier life.
Written on 22.12.2019