Earthblog

A Frog in a Key-Hole

Copyright 2010 David Strauss

This is a story of a young traveler named Chord.

Once upon a time, in the small land of Utopia, young Chord, frustrated with the direction of his life, stepped away. He let go of everything he was doing to go on a journey to discover who he is.

First visiting the land of New Zealand, he met, discovered, and fell in love with the beauty of a simple life, waking up peacefully in the beauty of the mountains, enjoying the fellowship of a culture barely tainted by the modern world.

Hitchhiking from town to town, villa to villa, Chord met a collage of people who shared with him the simplicity of living amidst nature.

As Chord moved on, he found himself traveling to the Land of Australia - a vast continent only slightly smaller than the place we call home.

Along his journey in the land of OZ (Australia) one day he had the good fortune to meet a gentleman by the name of Sir Peters.

Sir Peters was a very unusual man. He had a face with the equal magnificence of the Captain from the Book "Old Man and the Sea", with big round features, dark eyes, and a brownish-gray beard filled with the color and understanding of a well-traveled man. With a smile etched into his cheeks and forehead by the sun, he was a wise and learned man.

Sir Peters, seeing that Chord was tired from his journey, invited him into his home to share some warm food and tea. As their conversation grew, each sharing different stories from the journey of their lives, Sir Peters sensed a special quality in Chord - a quality unusual in this age of speed and mediocrity. So much was he impressed, that he shared with him a mysterious secret which he told as a story.  A story to change his life forever.

Sir Peters took Chord to the back stall of his magical sugar cane plantation, leading him to an old creaky door - a door which, though no longer used, carried a volume of stories from times magical past.

Pointing to the keyhole, an old skeleton type system with an opening so big light could shine through, Sir Peters asked Chord to place his ear over the keyhole and to listen silently.

And so he did! And much to his surprise, Chord recognized the sound of a frog coming from the keyhole. Unbelievable he thought, how did you get the frog into the keyhole.

Really, I didn't said Sir Peters. When that frog was but a tadpole, by some strange act of nature, he was carried into that hole, and there he grew, each day living off the bugs and insects that passed through the hole.   And there he is now - forever stuck, living on whatever nature provides, without any chance of getting to the other side.

As tears filled the old man's eyes, he shared a simple truth...

“And so too Chord, so many of us live our lives as frogs in a keyhole, never breaking away from the patterns, beliefs and behaviors of those who influenced us when we were but tiny children”.

“Many people will forever live their lives as a frog in a key-hole, never taking the chance, or looking for a way to get outside and live their dreams - accepting the trappings of time, never really being free. Inside the keyhole..., well, the frog is secure. He knows that he will never go far, but also knows that, at least he will always have food - always have shelter”.

Between the frog and the world is a keyhole. Fear is what keept him in. Love is what is on the other side, and faith is what will set him free.

And so on this one day, by some miracle, the frog felt a new sense of courage. He had a vision to move to the other side of the keyhole - to leave the key-hole and explore the world. A “leap” of faith if you will.

And so there he rested.  A frog in a key hole with a dream. Inside the keyhole he was quite unshapely. But outside there were no limits to what he could do, say or become, none but the ones he placed upon himself by the wrong use of the power of his thoughts and imagination.

In a moment's time, the frog prayed for an angel to enter his life, and grant him the opportunity to be free. And so it happened. An angel came and granted the frog the one wish to set him free.

"Frog..., I am here as an answer to your prayer. I grant you one wish, and with that wish, the ability to be free. What shall it be?"

Teary-eyed with excitement, the frog pondered all he knew of the world, and all that he wanted to be and become, and in his thinking, knowing that his awareness of the world was limited to his experiences in the key-hole, he made one wish.

Angel, he said, my wish is to become a caterpillar. As a caterpillar I will be able to crawl out of this hole, onto the door, and out into the world. I will be able to walk upon the grass, crawl up trees, enjoy the swiftness of a cool autumn breeze, and live freely as all other animals do.

I do this knowing that one day I will die! But really angel…, a caterpillar never dies.  They move from one life to the next, and that movement may be the most difficult moment ever - the pain of change - from caterpillar, to cocoon, to butterfly.  But I know this one thing to be true…

What The Caterpillar Calls The End Of The World, The Master of Creation Calls A Butterfly.

Between the frog and the world is a keyhole. Fear is what keeps him in. Love is what is on the other side, and faith is what will set him free.

And so on this one day, by some miracle, the frog had a vision - inspired by God, angel, or perhaps some other source of divinity, he had a vision to move to the other side of love - to leave the key-hole and explore the world. A leap of faith if you will.

And so there he rested. A frog in a key hole with a dream. Inside the keyhole he was quite unshapely. But outside there were no limits to what he could do, say or become, none but the ones he placed upon himself by the wrong use of the power of his thoughts and imagination.

In a moment's time, the frog prayed for an angel to enter his life, and grant him the opportunity to be free. And so it happened. An angel came and granted the frog the one wish to set him free.

"Frog..., I am here as an answer to your prayer. I grant you one wish, and with that wish, the ability to be free. What shall it be?"

Teary-eyed with excitement, the frog pondered all he knew of the world, and all that he wanted to be and become, and in his thinking, knowing that his awareness of the world was limited to his experiences in the key-hole, he made one wish.

Angel, he said, my wish is to become a caterpillar. As a caterpillar I will be able to crawl out of this hole, onto the door, and out into the world. I will be able to walk upon the grass, crawl up trees, enjoy the swiftness of a cool autumn breeze, and live freely as all other animals do.

I do this knowing that one day I will die! But really angel…, a caterpillar never dies. They move from one life to the next, and that movement may be the most difficult moment ever - the pain of change - from caterpillar, to cocoon, to butterfly. But I know this one thing to be true…