Jack and the Magical Kingdom

Once upon a time there was a boy named Jack, who lived in a Magical Kingdom. It had hills and valleys, streams and trees. There was a big pond to swim in and a forest glade where he and his friends would gather for parties. Jack would spend all day exploring the Kingdom. Playing games and enjoying himself. Life was grand.

But Jack hadn't always lived in the Magical Kingdom. He used to live Outside. Outside was different. It was dirtier, and noisier, and things moved very quickly. Everybody had something to do Outside. Everyone had a Task. And there was less time to play.

Jack liked to play. He liked to run and jump and swim and dance. He liked to lay in the soft moss by the big pond and watch the clouds go by. He liked to talk to his friends about nothing in particular. Jack very much enjoyed moving to the Magical Kingdom. Life there was grand.

Now, there is a funny thing about some boys; this one in particular. Jack would lay on the moss by the big pond for the umpteenth time and look at the umpteenth cloud and sigh. A big, deep sigh. And he wouldn't know why. He would run and jump and swim and dance for the umpteenth time and sigh. And he wouldn't know why. He would talk to his friends about nothing in particular for the umpteenth time and he wouldn't know why. And he would sigh.

And here is why.

When Jack left Outside he tried to forget about the dirt and the noise and the things that moved quickly. He tried to forget about having something to do. He forgot about having a Task. He had time to play. And play... and play... Every day, Jack would play.

He would run and jump and swim and dance and lay on the moss by the big pond and watch the clouds go by and talk to his friends about nothing in particular and run and jump and swim and dance and lay on the moss by the big pond and watch the clouds go by and talk to his friends about nothing in particular and run and jump...

Well, you get the picture.

Jack missed the dirt and the noise and the things that moved quickly. He missed having something to do. And he realized something else. The thing that he knew he would never miss; the thing that he moved to the Magical Kingdom to avoid -- the Task -- was the one thing Jack forgot to leave behind.

Outside, the Task dictated what time Jack got up each day, how he dressed, where he went and who he talked to. It took all of his useful time and wasted it; leaving him a few meager hours of Jack time. And it made him unhappy living Outside.

So when Jack moved to the Magical Kingdom he expected to be happy. He didn't know that the Task was difficult to put down, to leave behind; that it could live in his head and make him sigh.

Now, the first time Jack ran and jumped and swam and danced he never wanted to stop. The first time he lay on the soft moss by the big pond and looked at the clouds it was a perfect day. The first time he talked to his new friends about nothing in particular he laughed with joy. So he wanted more.

And the Task said, "Fine."

And the Task said, "Jack, hurry up. Every one else is already running. Hurry, you'll miss the jumping. Quick now, they're about to swim."

And the Task said, "Jack, don't lose your spot on the moss or you can't possibly enjoy the clouds." And, "Quick, you have to contribute to the conversation about nothing in particular!"

And the Task became... well, a task.

This was when Jack became Wise. He realized that Tasks are hard to put down. Tasks are hard to leave behind. That they are sometimes there when you think they are gone. That they can make you sigh, when you don't even know why.

He also realized that you can have too much of a good thing; and that no one can run and jump and play every day. That there were good things about Outside and that there can be bad things about the Magical Kingdom. And that he had a choice of what to do every day.

So now, our boy Jack might run today and jump tomorrow. He might look at the clouds from under a big tree and lay on the soft moss and count the stars at night. And sometimes, every now and then, his conversations may have a particular meaning. Like this one.