*ADVENTURES OF GOODBOY 64*
The anecdotes of King Bediako and his trusted aide Goodboy are entertaining as well as enlightening. Once, the king received the gift of a rare perfume. As he opened the bottle, a drop of perfume fell to the floor. Bediako instinctively moved to retrieve it by wiping the floor with his finger. As he looked up he noticed a bemused look on Goodboy’s face… his eyes seemed to mock the king for being scrounging.
To change Goodboy’s perception, Bediako summoned him the next morning to his bath. He asked his attendants to fill up the bathtub with the best of perfumes. Bediako sought to show Goodboy that as king he could afford to waste as much perfume, as he wanted. Goodboy when asked to react said the immortal lines, “An entire tub full cannot retrieve what the drop took way!”
Goodboy sought to tell the Emperor that his earlier instinctive action (that exhibited miserliness) could not be undone by an intentional action (aimed at big-heartedness). Our character is determined by our reactions, not by forced posturing. It is better to be transparent then wear favourable masks. In fact every little action and reaction, every spoken word and emerging thought reflects our true self!
To be continued….
