The Future is on Your Hands

Once upon a time, a long time ago, in a land far away, there lived an old

man in a house on top of a hill. He had dedicated his entire life to study

and meditation. He was known far and wide for his intelligence, sensi-

tivity, and wisdom. Politicians, businesspeople, and dignitaries came to

visit him and ask him questions. His answers were always correct. He

seemed to have a special faculty that enabled him to cut to the essence of

any problem or issue. When his answers and solutions were imple-

mented, the result was always excellent. His fame soon spread through-

out the land.

In the village below the hill was a group of boys who played to-

gether. Sometimes they climbed the hill to visit the old man and ask

him questions, for which he always seemed have the correct answer.

Over time, it became a little game, with the boys continually trying to

think of a question that the old man could not answer. But they were

never successful.

One day, the ringleader of the group, a boy named Aram, called the

others around him and said, “I have finally found a way to stump the old

man. Here in my hand, I have a bird. We will go and ask the old man if

the bird is alive or dead. If he says that it is dead, I will release it and it

will fly away. If he says that it is alive, I will crush it, and the bird will be

dead. Either way, he will at last have been proven wrong.”

Excited about the prospect of finally catching the old man with a

wrong answer, they hurried up the hill. The old man watched them

coming and noticed the eager looks on their faces. Then Aram stepped

forward and asked, “Old man, I have a bird here in my hands. Is it alive

or is it dead?”

The old man looked at their mischievous, expectant faces and then

quietly said, “Aram, it is inyour hands.”