by Ronda Del Boccio, The Story Lady
Did you ever stop and think about what stories you repeat, either aloud or by forwarding an email? What is the message? Here is one I received a few days ago:
The Blind Man, author unknown
One day, there was a blind man sitting on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet and a sign that read: "I am blind, please help."
A creative publicist was walking by and stopped to observe. He saw that the blind man had only a few coins in his hat. He dropped in more coins and, without asking for permission, took the sign and rewrote it. He returned the sign to the blind man and left. That afternoon the publicist returned to the blind man and noticed that his hat was full of bills and coins.
The blind man recognized his footsteps and asked if it was he who had rewritten his sign and wanted to know what he had written on it.
The publicist responded: "Nothing that was not true. I just wrote the message a little differently." He smiled and went on his way. The new sign read: "Today is Spring and I cannot see it." The End.
You can read a story on many different levels and take away from it a variety of lessons. Stop for a moment and ask yourself this question: What message about blindness does this story convey?
Blind beggars used to be commonplace, but in these modern times, is it a good thing to perpetuate that image? I say, "No."
What does this story say to you? Certainly, it highlights the power of marketing to bring about results. That is true, granted, but perhaps there is a deeper layer of meaning. I encourage all of you to consider thoughtfully. Read the rest of this insightful article by storytelling expert Ronda Del Boccio
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