This is a story my dad used to tell me when I was little. After having conversations with a few different girls/women, I realize that this story holds a message that needs to be shared... I may have tweaked it a little, sorry dad! :P
Once upon a time,
There was a hunter named Joe. His dream was to be the world’s best hunter. When he was of age, he went to hunting school and made sure to be at the top of his class. Years passed and he grew stronger and and his skills became greater. When the day of graduation came, to celebrate his marked hunting abilities, he decided to exercise his new art by finding a forest that holds many legendary animals that could distinguish him as a hunter across the land.
He had saved up for this trip for several years and was very excited to finally be able to accomplish his goal of going to the best stores and buy the best equipment. He was convinced that combining top of the line hunting gear with his top of the line education would guarantee him this title; and he was very eager to claim it. When all his purchasing and careful preparation was finally done, he hopped on his pickup truck and away he drove. Into the forest he went, on the quest for his most prized treasure. This legendary catch, he hoped, would surely set his name amongst the greats found in the Book of Hunters he used to study back in history class.
Excited for his first solo hunting trip, he started to set up camp as soon as he found the perfect location at the edge of the forest. He had planned to explore every corner of this forest and get as many hunting trophies he possibly could. He had only began to take a few steps out of his truck when he saw this doe standing just a few steps away from him. It was a peculiar sight: instead of running away, she just stood there. She seemed completely unaware of the danger before her and simply remained still. So, quietly and calmly, Joe walked over to the back of his truck and got his gun... and BAM! He got her. "One down!" He thought. Feeling quite proud of his new catch, he rejoiced in his expertise as a hunter, congratulating himself for the first catch of his trip.
Needless to say, his pride was definitely flattered by the ease of his triumph. After his small celebration, he continued to set up camp as he initially planned. As he was finishing to set up his camp, not too far from him, he heard a bird chirping. He noticed her perched in one of the highest branches of a rare tree that was specific to this forest. Still engrossed in the pride of his last catch, he assumed that little effort would again allow him to add this bird to the trophy collection he had begun.
Just as he did earlier, quietly and calmly, he took his gun and BAM! He...missed her?Away the little bird flew a few branches closer to the heart of the forest. Poor Joe was flustered by his missed attempt: he NEVER misses a target! Leaving, his camp behind, with only a gun in hand, he hurriedly followed her further into the thick of the forest. "No need to pack up", he thought; "I won't be gone for long".
When he found her again, peacefully singing to the clouds, he decided to wait longer this time before making a move. So, he hid and waited… and waited some more. When the forest was still, and silence could almost be heard, he stealthily set up his gun and... BAM! He... missed her again?! And away she flew, always deeper into the forest. So farther into the forest, Joe went also. Now, Joe had begun to feel confused at the ineffectiveness of his newly acquired skills in this forest that was supposed to guarantee his legendary reputation. He was starting to realize that his expensive equipment were not useful for every kind of challenge.
Determined to one day see his name in the Book of Hunters, he took on the challenge of shooting (or maybe catch) this bird and tell of the tale of this relentless rare bird that refused to be caught. He went back to his truck, got some equipment so it could last him a while and returned further into the forest; where this little bird was hiding. Days soon became months. As the leafs changed colors and a season lead into the other, his hunt morphed into a fascination. Time helped him realize that this bird had interesting habits. Observation helped him notice that there were specific branches that she liked to perch on. And Curiosity taught him of the different foods she enjoyed eating and of the different songs she liked to sing. Still on a mission, often he tried to catch her, and still, he could not succeed.
Joe eventually put away his gun. The dream he long chased to have his name written in the Book of Hunters faded away. He now hoped to domesticate this peculiar bird. While those days had been becoming months, he noticed that the bird was not flying away as far away from him as she used to. He spent many days pondering how to domesticate a bird that refuses to be approached. Then one day, as he was sitting on the ground watching her sing to the clouds… gracefully, she flew in his direction and perched herself onto his arm.
He never got the opportunity to develop the art of domesticating this rare and peculiar bird. Time served him well to accomplish this dream. Space had its place in letting Curiosity and Observation build in him a fascination that rendered him harmless. And when Trust finally grew into this seemingly unpredictable bird, she gladly and freely sung her way to his side; never to worry about another trap from Joe again. "Instead of being a renowned hunter, I accomplished a worthier goal," he told her, "I found a companion with which I can sing to the clouds".
At the end of that story, my daddy would ask: “so girls, which prey was Joe happier to have caught? Which one will he want to take better care of?” …what’s your guess?
And then, he would say something like: “guys are like hunters… they won't cherish what comes easily to them. Don’t give yourself away too quickly because if you do, he won’t value you as the treasure that you are. If he needs to work to have you, he won't want to let you go once he does.”
Then End
Moral of this story to all the girlfriends out there: You deserve a man who’ll treasure you. Don’t waste your time on those boys who won’t invest in you... It’s a guaranteed heartbreak ;)
