The Parable of the Prodigy
There was a brilliant young man; in fact his
ideas were like lightening flares flashing 'round the
mountain of imagination. He was a wave of inspiration
that surged his collegiate debate team to numerous
victories. Now graduated from one of the top-ten
schools in the country, he was ready to forge his way
in the world.
"Hitting the pavement was no obstacle for him; he
landed a lucrative job on his first interview. The
image that went along with being a community relations
staff person for an international oil corporation
tickled his ego, tactfully. He quickly became known
by his new colleagues for his inspired campaigns. As
the popularity of his firm flowed to massive
proportions, he thought himself impervious to any flaw
in his abilities. Visions of power beyond his schemes
glimmered in his mind, as he just knew his impact must
have been making good impressions.
That which he hadn't anticipated happened. The
surf swelled, black tides encompassing all in its
course, ebbing away the fragile beauty of natures
balance. As the land became desolate, so did his
vocational prospects. That same week, the chairman of
the board terminated his position.
Searching for work his second time was a tedious and
tiresome task. He no longer seemed to have that
special sense of who he was. Interview after interview
came and went. With his savings gone, he finally
lost hope.
He visited his parents who he was avoiding since
after the disaster, yet his father congratulated him
for doing his job so well, he got fired! Ah, he was
home again, he sighed... After a miraculous dinner,
his mother suggested that he lowered his standards
and find a job in journalism +) That was it, he
realized!
With a renewed strength, he tackled the job
market, yet a third time. The wave bellowed again, but
this time through a weekly magazine. His articles were
unparalleled by his peers as he trouble-scouted
international corporations' environmental
policies. And, this is truly how he came to forge his
way in the world.