by Valerie Alexander

Old Hebrew parable:

An old man sits outside the gates of his village and when travelers come seeking a new home, they ask him what the people in this village are like.  He asks, “What were the people in your last village like?” and they reply, “Oh, they were nasty and awful and mean and spiteful and we couldn’t wait to get away.”

The old man says, “Well, the people here are exactly the same.”  The travelers depart as quickly as they can.

Then, another set of travelers come seeking a new home, they ask the old man what the people in this village are like.  He asks, “What were the people in your last village like?” and they reply, “Oh, they were warm and wonderful and loving and it broke our hearts to leave.” The old man says, “Well, the people here are exactly the same.” The travelers enter the gates and settle down.

That’s how you create the village you want to live in.

And with that, Happy St. Patrick’s Day!