Discussion: The Three Little Pigs
Belinda M. Lane (Repost from June 2020)
January 27, 2023
With all the hero action movies and shows, children now know very little of the fairy tales we were told growing up. And to be honest, there were often failed attempts at converting those tales to movies. However, the one which stayed with me whenever I would think of a story from my childhood was the Three Little Pigs. Looking back, I’m uncertain if the stories had a moral to the tale or if it was just a tale of entertainment.
Below, I summarize this story. In the first version written (during my childhood) the mama pig sent her boys off to set up a life of their own. Mama pig gave each money to purchase materials needed to build their home. One built a home out of straw, one out of wood, and the last out of brick. The one who used straw got his home built first, and he teased his brothers as he sat back in his home. The second brother finished building his home with wood and as he relaxed, teased the last brother.
The last brother continued to build his house on a solid foundation with brick. He kept focus and ignored their witticism. His task was time consuming and comprised a lot of hard work; but he proceeded. Seeing his brothers relaxing and having fun, he pushed past the notion of short cuts and finished his house.
One day, a wolf prowling around the territory saw the first and second pig houses and approached each and promptly blew them down. The pigs ran to the safety of their last brother's house, the one built of brick. Once inside, they heard the wolf yelling, “I will huff and puff and blow your house down!” All day he did just that and couldn’t blow down the third brother’s house. Eventually, he gave up leaving the area, never to be seen again.
This is a fairy tale with a moral to mirror the stories of wisdom in the world today. Questions: With a brief inventory of our ways of life, which character in the story, or whose house did you build? When the wolf (real estate market crash (huff), economy plummeting in downward spiral worldwide (puff). Unemployment in numbers unheard of (huff) and the global pandemic (puff)). Which house were you in? How had you built your house over the years? Were you the first and second brothers who took shortcuts to building life, allowing more time to have fun and often teasing those who try to do it correctly? As is often expressed nowadays, to get out and live life.
Or were you the third brother, staying focused and constructing something, not just for now but for the future? Knowing the fun would come later. The house received the huffs and puffs of the wolf, but the focus of the builder built the house on a stable foundation. The other brothers would now have to depend on their sibling until they reconstructed their new homes.
Life will throw us curveballs, like understanding how things will arise to derail us no matter how we have built. The beneficial part of having to start over is if this happens; you’re prepared with knowing how to rebuild. For the others, their progress may take a little longer, but they now have an example in front of them; showing its possible.
I hear the conversations of many and often my observations are of their uncertainties. For some, life experiences have become overwhelming about how to proceed or what takes place next. I think we will look back on this as survivors, and not just getting through, and many will do well. As I have expressed in past discussions, let’s not miss the opportunities we have before us. We will come out of this with inventions, books, ideas to sell, testimonies, and much more.
(The News reported in 2020 (I don’t know how they confirmed this info), stated many recipients bought large screen televisions with their $1,200.00 stimulus checks. I know that the CARE Act with the $600.00 “bump” for unemployment ended on July 25, 2020. Did the recipients look back over what they did in those 3 or 4 months and with a sigh of satisfaction at how they have handled their finances? I will stop here, because I don’t want to judge. But walking in wisdom during these times is a must.)
Take this time to stay focused and encourage one another. Check on each other to make certain of their wellbeing. To the question, “Am I My Brother’s Keeper?” I can answer yes, but you answer that question for yourself… remembering you are also someone’s brother!
Thank you for joining me for Friday at Sundown. Remember… Just Breathe!
Resources:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Dial 988
https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. We can all help prevent suicide. The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you
800-273-8255
Domestic Violence
National Domestic Violence Hotline can help victims, survivors of domestic violence. Call 1-800-799-7233. Chat w/an advocate on our website. National Domestic Violence Hotline: www.thehotline.org/
Aid for Military Veterans
In an attempt to cope with the pain of overwhelming emotions, sometimes veterans turn to unhealthy relationships, at-risk behaviors, or substance abuse.
Welcome Home is Celebrate Recovery's (CR) tool to help veterans stuck in hurts, hang-ups, and habits. (These statements are from CR’s Homepage). You are not alone! https://www.welcomehome.celebraterecovery.com