Watch and Learn

Kevan and Kim: Healthy and Happy

This week's picture features Kim and Kevan smiling as though the events of a couple of weeks ago never happened. This is truly awesome.

Meanwhile, back at the ministry, things are progressing with the speed and coherence of a long run out land slide. 

Of course, these matters are 100% confidential, and my usual ruse for communicating such stuff is not available. Our friend the Ruler and her advisors failed in their attempt to have the Thing perish in a fire (who knew it would be fire proof) and are now wandering in the wilderness looking for a place to abandon it. 

So let's try this instead:

A colourfully diverse group of young people dressed only in bathing suits has been working for the past week on a giant sand castle. It is vast, sprawling, both impressive and fragile. 

In the time they have worked on the castle, they have come to trust and respect one another. 

They share an understanding of the rules and principles of what they are building. The castle is made of sand, so it can't do everything and it is particularly vulnerable to being top heavy.

They work under the distracted gaze of a lifeguard who is not involved in the construction of the sand castle, but, like them, is wearing a bathing suit. So, they all have that in common. 

After a week of hard labour, the castle is all but done. There may be some fine tuning still required, but it is a thing of beauty and folks from miles around come to admire it.

Now it is the night before the judges arrive. A few young people have stayed late to fuss over the smallest details. A gang of fully-clothed thugs shows up.

They admire the castle, but they have authority to make changes to it. 

"We need to add a thirty-five foot spire here" they say, pointing to a spot where a two-foot turret stands. "If that takes too much sand, we can remove that thing over there," they say, pointing to a small dome at one end of the castle.

One of the bathing-suit-clad young people comes forward, "Um, guys, the sand castle has been built to stand the way it is now, so I don't think we can do that."

"Sure we can," says the life guard, springing down from his high platform and nodding respectfully at the thugs. "Whatever you say, sirs."

Then he turns to the young person. "Watch and learn," he says, "This is what it's like."

"You're the boss," says the young person. She gets on her phone to let the rest of the crew know about the changes to the sand castle.

The next morning, a large crowd of young people in bathing suits stands in a ring around the sand castle. The castle is the same as it was. 

Looking at the crowd, a new idea occurs to the life guard. He gets on his phone and calls the thugs "We'll get you your thirty-five foot tower, but not today, and not with this castle. We're building another one next week. We'll do it then."

Today's moral: Half-naked people should think twice before saying "yes" to anyone fully clothed.

Thanks for reading!

Have a great week!

Karen