Parable of the Oblivious Man

One of our homework assignments was to study the works of Christine de Pizan, Plato, Aesop, and the apostle Luke, and to create a parable using the writing techniques we learned from these authors. Our parables were supposed to be about something that is super important to us. For me and my brothers, avoiding smoking and secondhand smoke is very important.

A businessman walked into his favorite coffeeshop to order a latte. When he walked up to order his drink, the barista continued her work as if he wasn’t there. The businessman was a little flustered and asked the barista if he could order. “I’ll get to you in bit! It’s not like you have a meeting to get to,” the barista scoffed. Well, the businessman did have a meeting to get to and he was now very angry. “Let me order my coffee! I want a latte!” The barista walked back into the storage room without a word and never returned. The businessman was steaming with anger and stormed out of the shop. To calm himself, he pulled out his pack of cigarettes and lit one. A family with two children passed, gave him a look, and gagged. The man frowned and continued to his meeting. Another mom with a baby veered away from him and muttered, “C’mon. No one else likes that.” The baby started crying and the mom hurried away. Almost to his workplace, the man started jogging. Right before he stepped in, a boy ran up to him and yelled, “You’re killing me!” The man shook his head and walked into his building without saying a word. 

What should you take away from this story?

For one, being considerate is key in life. As the barista ignored the businessman, and the businessman smoked the world to death, he created annoyance and hostility between himself and the passing world. When you know what the right thing is to do, do it, and keep the bonds between yourself and others.