Air Temperature: -3 Degrees Time:7.35am
The Frog
The old frog sat and looked at his reflection in the garden pond. A solitary tear rolled down his cheek.
‘Why?’ he thought, ‘Why did this happen to me? I was born for greater things…I aspired to greater things? All my life I have toiled away. But here I am still a frog. Nothing ever changed. Nothing came of my dreams…’
He was transfixed by his reflection. Staring at the wrinkles and bumps on his skin…as if by staring at them they would dissolve. Cruel thoughts aimed at himself were on his mind…critical thoughts, mean thoughts, even spiteful thoughts about his mis -shapen body, his face and his general feeling of lethargy and dis-ease…
Above the garden the sky was blue and the warmth of the sun soaked into the skin of the frog, but he didn’t even notice the soothing qualities it had, he felt stiff and sore. Sore within his body and within his mind.
Around him life on the pond danced its dance. Pond skaters zipped across the water’s surface, dragonflies darted amongst the reeds at the water’s edge. Within the water the fish poised motionless, soaking up the sunlight amongst the shallows…a world of golden brown pebbles and sand. They were wary. They sensed a ’presence’ at the water’s edge but couldn’t see the frog.
‘Friend or foe’ went the question through the water, ’friend or foe?’
Then a King Fisher landed on a rock nearby.
The King Fisher looked almost other worldly, with its plumage shimmering green and blue. Frogs attention was caught and he stared at the bird in awe.
‘What’s your problem?’ Asked the King Fisher gruffly. He didn’t appreciate being stared at with such an intensity. He just wanted to catch a fish and he craved peace and solitude.
Frog snapped out of his introspection. ‘You…well…you are completely…well I wish I was like you that’s all’
King Fisher stared for a moment and then laughed. ‘Because I’m blue?’
‘Well yes…and because of the way you are besides your colour.’ Replied the frog.
‘And that means what?’
‘Well you are so beautiful…you must be really happy…you must experience amazing things being able to fly and being a ‘King’ Not like me…’murmured the frog, ‘I just sit in the mud by the reeds or sit here by the water…and that’s it…my whole life’
King Fisher looked sadly at frog. ‘But, that has been your choice has it not?’ he replied. ‘There have been opportunities to go to different places and to experience different things but for whatever reason you have chosen not to. Isn’t that right?
Frog thought of the times in his life when he had indeed been pulled to move ponds, to cross the road that ran next to the garden and go off exploring whatever lay beyond… there had been numerous times he had even sat at the edge of the road…but each time he had changed his mind. The road was scary. Large vehicles raced past and made him feel vulnerable and frightened.
‘What if they hit me?’ he had thought. ‘Who am I kidding, I will never make it…what’s the point of trying anyway?’
Each time this had occurred the frog found his energies diminish. He felt heavy and dispondent. To begin with he had started off by telling himself how useless and pathetic he was. More recently he told himself that it was ‘sensible’ and ’realistic’ not to go anywhere near the roadside.
Thing was that all the time there had been a niggle inside of him. A niggle that never went away and if Frog gave it attention, these days, this niggle that tormented him. This niggle was ‘What if?’ ‘What if I had…’
…to be continued…
- What dreams have you pushed away?
- What limiting ‘negative talk’ have you learnt to project at yourself?
- What ‘niggle’ of longing or discontent are you perhaps ignoring?
- What if it wasn’t ‘too late’ to follow your dreams?
Why not make a start?
Enjoy your journey X