The Duck Without A Quack

Where the muse beckons, we have to follow….a children’s story from my pen...

Once upon a time there was a Mama Duck who had 5 baby ducks.

4 of the 5 baby ducks quacked.

But one Baby Duck didn’t.

Mama Duck was worried and had Papa Duck take him to Doctor Duck.

The doctor said, “Baby Duck , “Open your mouth wide and stick your tongue out and say “Aaah”

So Baby Duck opened its mouth wide and stuck its tongue out and said “Aaah”.

 “Everything looks alright”, said Doctor Duck to Papa Duck; “just give Baby Duck plenty of water and his quack will be back.”

Papa Duck took Baby Duck home and gave him plenty of water.

That evening as all the baby ducks gathered round Mama to hear their bedtime story before bed, Mama Duck said, “now who wants to hear a story?’.

4 baby ducks said Quack, but one baby duck opened its mouth wide and said “Aah”.

 “I see the problem,” said Papa Duck to Mama Duck, “when we went to Doctor Duck, Doctor Duck told Baby Duck to say aah”.

 “Well, if that didn’t work, maybe you can take him to Shaman Duck tomorrow” said Mama Duck.

Shaman Duck knew how to do all sorts of magic.

So Papa Duck took Baby Duck to Shaman Duck, hoping Shaman Duck would help Baby Duck say Quack.

 “No problem “said Shaman Duck and he said “Web Deb Web Deb” while we waved a wand over Baby Duck.

 “Take him home and give him lots of water and by evening, he will quack like his brothers and sisters”.

That evening as all the baby ducks gathered round Mama to hear their bedtime story before bed, Mama Duck said, “now who wants to hear a story?”.

4 baby ducks said Quack, but one baby duck said “Moo” in a deep loud voice.

The other baby ducks jumped.  Mama Duck jumped.  Papa Duck jumped.

A cow mooed back from a nearby cowshed.

 “Well, that didn’t work,” said Mama Duck. “Perhaps we should get Baby Duck a tutor. Take Baby Duck to Lake School tomorrow and ask Teacher Duck to teach Baby Duck to Quack.

So Papa Duck took Baby Duck to Lake School to ask Teacher Duck to teach Baby Duck to say Quack.

Papa Duck went to a classroom, found 2 empty seats for Baby Duck and himself and they waited along with the other student ducks in the classroom for Teacher Duck to arrive.

When Teacher Duck arrived, the student ducks stood up and said “Good Morning Teacher Duck.” Papa Duck made Baby Duck stand up too.

Teacher Duck gave the lesson and Papa Duck and Baby Duck listened quietly with the other students.

When Teacher Duck was finished, Papa Duck said “Thank you, Teacher Duck.  We so want our Baby Duck to learn to quack”.

That evening as all the baby ducks gathered round Mama to hear their bedtime story before bed, Mama Duck said, “now who wants to hear a story?’.

4 baby ducks said Quack, but one baby duck said “Good Morning Teacher Duck.” Mama looked at Papa Duck. “That didn’t work.  We need a miracle.  Tomorrow, take Baby Duck to Lake Church and ask Pastor Duck to pray over him”.

So Papa Duck took Baby Duck to Lake Church to ask Pastor Duck to pray over him.

Pastor Duck made the sign of the cross and said “Bless you, my child” and said some prayers over Baby Duck.

You can guess what happened.

That evening as all the baby ducks gathered round Mama to hear their bedtime story before bed, Mama Duck said, “now who wants to hear a story?”.

4 baby ducks said Quack, but one baby duck said “Bless You, My Child”.

Mama Duck had an idea. She turned to Papa Duck and said, “Tomorrow, take Baby Duck to Lake Circus and ask one of the bird trainers to train Baby Duck to quack.”

So Papa Duck took Baby Duck to Lake Circus to ask Trainer Duck to train Baby Duck to quack.

Baby Duck watched the circus performers, animals and humans practicing for the Big Show.

The man in charge of the trapeze artists blew his whistle for them to start.

Baby Duck saw a young trapeze artist make the sign of the cross.

 “Bless you my child” said Baby Duck.

A clown with a white face thought that was very funny and laughed.

Baby Duck got scared of the clown with the white face and ran away from Papa Duck shrieking “Bless You, My Child. Bless You, My Child”.

Papa Duck decided to take Baby Duck home.

That evening as all the baby ducks gathered round Mama to hear their bedtime story before bed, Mama Duck said, “now who wants to hear a story?”.

4 baby ducks said Quack, but one baby duck said nothing.  It was scared to say “Bless You My Child” in case the clown with the white face appeared.

The next day Baby Duck was alone with one of his baby sisters exploring. Sister suddenly got her webbed foot stuck in a pot.  “Quack” said Sister Duck, afraid.

Baby Duck looked at Sister.

Baby Duck looked towards the lake where Mama Duck was paddling with his other 3 sisters.

Baby Duck ran towards Mama.

 “Ah, Moo, Good Morning Teacher Duck.  Bless You My Child”, he shrieked at Mama Duck.

 “Whatever is the matter?” wondered Mama.  “Something Must Be Wrong.”

Baby Duck shrieked, “Ah, Moo, Good Morning Teacher Duck.  Bless You My Child” again and ran towards Sister, looking back at Mama to make sure Mama Duck was following him.

Mama Duck followed Baby Duck all the way to where Sister was with her foot stuck in a pot.

Following Mama Duck was a Cow, Doctor Duck, Pastor Duck, Teacher Duck and Police Duck who had all heard, “Ah, Moo, Good Morning Teacher Duck.  Bless You My Child”.

 “Bless his heart,” said Doctor Duck, seeing that Baby Duck had led Mama Duck to Sister Duck.

 “Bless his heart,” said Pastor Duck, seeing that Baby Duck had led Mama Duck to Sister Duck.

 “Bless his heart,” said Teacher Duck, seeing that Baby Duck had led Mama Duck to Sister Duck.

 “Bless his heart,” said Police Duck, seeing that Baby Duck had led Mama Duck to Sister Duck.

 “Bless his heart”, said Baby Duck, proud and happy.

And you know what – Police Duck gave Baby Duck a job on the Police Force on the Rescue Squad.

It never worried Mama Duck and Papa Duck again when Baby Duck said, “Ah, Moo, Good Morning Teacher Duck. Bless You My Child”.

You Are Standing At The Crossroads Of 2 Paths...

The sign pointing one way says Uncomfortable Path.

The sign pointing the other way says Comfortable Path.

Which one do you take?

412 B. C. Diogenes takes the uncomfortable path. He gives up all his possessions to live in a bath-tub in a street square. Read about his story here.

399 B. C. Socrates takes the uncomfortable path. He is convicted of the crime of impiety to the gods and sentenced to die by drinking hemlock. His disciples urge him to go into hiding. But he chooses to accept his fate. He believes it is right and just to abide by the decision of the Athenian court.

A.D. 5 and on: Christian martyrs, start taking the uncomfortable path. The first is St. Stephen. He allows himself to be stoned to death, rather than give up his faith, or stop professing his spiritual beliefs.

1478-1535 Sir Thomas More takes the uncomfortable path. King Henry asks Sir Thomas to recognize him as the Head of the Church, and to accept King Henry’s divorce of Catherine of Aragon as legal. Sir Thomas More refuses and pays the price with his life. King Henry convicts Sir Thomas More of treason and beheads him.

1809-1865 Abraham Lincoln takes the uncomfortable path. He opposes the efforts of several southern states to secede from the union in response to federal efforts to prohibit slavery in the territories yet to become states. It was an extreme test of courage and commitment. But he is unwavering until the insurrection is quelled and the Emancipation Proclamation goes into effect. As we all know, he paid for it with his life soon after.

1815-1902 Elizabeth Cady Stanton takes the uncomfortable path. She makes it her life’s mission to fight for American women to have voting rights. And she never gives up till the day she dies. Thanks to her efforts, and the efforts of other unwavering people like her, the 19^th Amendment is passed in 1920. American women enjoy the right to vote after that day.

1817-1862 Thoreau takes the uncomfortable path. He decides to go into the woods for over 2 years and live entirely off the land.

1869 – 1948 Mahatma Gandhi takes the uncomfortable path. He decides to lead the fight for India's independence from the British Raj. Even more remarkable, he chooses to do this through Satyagraha – an extremely uncomfortable path. India achieves independence in 1947 thanks to his leadership.

1918–2013 Nelson Mandela takes the uncomfortable path. He makes it his life’s mission to oppose South African apartheid. He is sentenced to a 27 year prison sentence for his anti-government activities, but nothing will stop him.

1929–1968 Martin Luther King Jr. takes the uncomfortable path. He decides to lead the civil rights movement. Thanks to his efforts, and his vision of equality for all people, equal rights for blacks become a reality.

What is it that makes us take the uncomfortable path?

Is it because as humans, we are driven to become greater versions of ourselves?

I think the answer is yes.

We are meant to be inspired, to evolve and to grow, and to create new realities.

We are meant to create more courageous realities, more creative realities, more authentic realities, more expansive realities, and more visionary realities – realities in alignment with who we are, what we believe in, and the better world we dream of.

Even in the limited sphere of our own personal life, we are called to become greater versions of ourselves - and to pursue more courageous realities, more creative realities, more authentic realities, more expansive realities, and more visionary realities - usually achieved by taking a more uncomfortable path.

What uncomfortable paths are you called to take – which could ultimately result in you becoming a greater version of yourself?

I give you some examples from my own life…

I was called to take the uncomfortable path when I took the plunge into entrepreneurship by starting my own creative shop Purple Patch.

I was called to take the uncomfortable path when I decided to move to America with my 11 month old child.

I was called to take the uncomfortable path when I said yes to my first job in commissions administration, a job for which I was not qualified by training or experience.

I was called to take the uncomfortable path when I decided to become a freelancing consultant 8 years ago.

I was called to take the uncomfortable path when I decided to give up my Tiger Mom and Helicopter Mom ways and become a Hippy Mom (now firmly on her way to becoming a Lighthouse Mom).

I was called to take the uncomfortable path when I decided to start this blog.

I was called to take the uncomfortable path when I decided to share some uncomfortable things about my personal history on this blog.

I was called to take the uncomfortable path when I decided to go without health insurance.

I was called to take the uncomfortable path when I decided to become more authentic with the people in my life, and to tell it like it is.

You are standing at the crossroads of 2 paths.

The sign pointing one way says Uncomfortable Path.

The sign pointing the other way says Comfortable Path.

Which one will you take?

I will leave you with the perfect question for this moment in time – when you and I are standing at the brink of a brand New Year.

2019.

May it be the year in which you find the strength to choose the path that will lead you to a more courageous, more creative, more authentic, more expansive, and ultimately more abundant version of yourself.