A story
 

Another thread reminded me of a story. I heard this years ago when I was still drinking. I could not understand the story, much less why I was being told . The person telling me refused to explain its meaning. I puzzled over it for almost a day before I finally got it (no doubt also due to the fact that I'm more than a little thick headed). I believe the work of trying to understand the story made it more valuable.

For that reason I would ask that you not give up the answer for 24 hours from the time of this post. Some of you will understand it immediately. That's fine. Let those who don't puzzle over it. They are the ones it may help.

One day a mouse was walking down the road when it heard "Help! Please Help!

Looking around there was no one to be seen. And then after a moment "Please help, Please"

Still not seeing anyone the mouse moved in the direction of the voice. Soon he came to a large pothole. Peering over the edge he saw another mouse at the bottom, so he asked how he could help. The unfortunate mouse below was overjoyed to see him. He said that he could not jump quite high enough to grab the edge of the pothole and pull himself out. But he had an idea. He said that if the mouse on the road could jump into the pit, he could climb on his back and this would give him the extra distance he needed to grab the edge of the hole and pull himself out.

The mouse on the road thought about this for a moment, Then he said, "If I jump down in there with you, then I'll be stuck in the pit". The other mouse agreed. Having no other ideas of how to help, the mouse on the road wished the other one well and continued on his way.

After a few minutes the mouse that had been in the hole came running up behind the mouse on the road. Astonished the first mouse asked " how did you get out?? ". The mouse from the pit responded "a truck came along".

Yep. I'm stumped...

Is this a Mensa puzzle

The truck went into the pothole? My town has huge potholes...................OK, I got noth'in :)

I'll post tomorrow. Same time as the original post.

Whether or not the tire could get into the pothole has bearing on my thoughts (e.g. could squash the mouse). If not, I'm stumped.

yeah maybe there was water in the pothole and the truck when through and displaced it and hte mouse floated out? lol I dunno.

or maybe he climbed onto the tire. seems like theres too much missing from the story.

maybe the truck is now stuck in the hole but the moust was able to climb out via the truck.

Was it a toy truck? Small enough to be used as a mouse ATV or a stepping stone?
:Sportrac:

I'll bite. The approaching truck scared the mouse so much that he jumped just a little bit higher and was able to climb out.

maybe it doesnt matter something always comes along things always have a way of just working out.

A truck came along with a crew of workers. They stopped to repair the pothole. Showed the mouse some love and got him out of there.

That's was my thought

Perhaps the greater good of telling this story (in this setting) will be in its retelling. If you do retell it, two suggestions. First, use the exact phrase "a truck came along" to end the story, and second, DO NOT provide an answer. If the person does not get it, fine. I have had people come back to me weeks later excited that they had the answer. By far the greatest benefit comes through a person finding the answer on their own. This is why I asked people not to give up a solution for 24 hours. Thanks to those who waited.

I believe I was told this story to illustrate a point. At the time I heard it I was participating in a workshop focusing on problem resolution. I was (no doubt) doing my typical nightly drinking, which illustrated to others that I had a problem with alcohol. I don't remember the exact context in which I was told the story but I think the person who shared it with me may have seen where I was headed. I think he could see that one day I would be in that pit.

Many years after hearing the story that's exactly where I was. I could not quit drinking, no matter how hard I tried. Life seemed impossible and not drinking even more so. Then things got worse.

I became resigned to my fate. Then I heard a truck coming, and I knew it was about to run me over.

I had to do something extraordinary. Somehow I did. I managed to do things I thought I never could or would do. Somehow, what had looked totally and completely impossible, turned out to be possible.

So if you're new, and things look really bleak, do what you need to do. Take advantage of all the resources you can muster and do it.

Do it because you can.

Thank you awuh, I really enjoyed this post.

So it is a GOD story... Gift Of Despiration

My thought too. Though my human resources were inadequate, I was able to gain some extra "lift" by opening my mind to a power greater than myself.