Empty Boat

I try to keep this parable in mind when I'm driving each morning and afternoon to and from work on my 70 minute commute. If I get cutoff or pushed over to the side, I try to see others as just an "empty boat". I said try, it's not always easy, but it is my practice today.

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A man, in a rowboat, was rowing upriver on his way home. Knowing that a self-powered upriver-bound vessel had the right-of-way he was happily oblivious to what was behind him as he rowed away.

Suddenly, he was bumped. As he whirled around he saw that it was a man in another rowboat coming downriver and not paying attention. He gave the man a loud and serious scolding for his ineptitude and the man appologized as he drifted away without further confrontation.

The man went on rowing for some time when, suddenly, he was bumped again. He whirled around angrily, ready to issue another scolding, and saw that it was just an empty boat that had come loose of its moorings. He pushed it away and continued to row home.

As he rowed home peacfully he thought about what had happened and vowed that, from that day forward, he would treat other people as well as an empty boat.