A parable is either a well developed metaphor, or a group of metaphors woven into a narrative. Fire away.
I wrote this for a book I am writing on the management of type-1 diabetes. It conveys the conditions that caused me to find a much better control method than exists in "modern medicine".
So, here it is:
The Oil Well Fire - A Parable:
Once upon a time, there was an oil well at the bottom of a valley that blew-out and caught fire. Weeks went by with all the local firefighters exhausting their efforts to extinguish the fire – to no avail.
Eventually, Red Adair and his world-famous team was called in. Radio and TV news media gathered on top of the hill, along with a large crowd of spectators. But to no avail; even with all the tankers, pumpers and water cannon trucks, the fire simply would not go out.
Finally, a million-dollar reward was offered to any crew that could put out the fire. It became a viral media event. Firefighting teams came from far and wide to try their go at winning the reward, but so far, none succeeding. Near the end of the line of contestants was a shabby team with nothing but an old, beat-up, rusted flat-bed truck filled with sand and a crew armed with shovels. As the line inched along to their turn, the crowd of spectators looked at them with grinning scoffs. Most eager to watch just for the amusement of the expected comical failure. Finally, it was their turn, but before they set off down the hill, the TV announcer asked the crew chief if he really thought they had any chance at putting out the fire. With a shrug of the shoulders, he just said, “well, we just thought we’d give it a try”. Among lots of spectator snickering and laughter, they set off down the hill to the fire.
Partway down the hill the truck started speeding up. As they progressed, faster and faster, the spectator crowd began to cheer at the crew’s obvious eager confidence as they were now standing in the back of the truck waiving their shovels in the air as they raced, faster and faster down to the fire. As they got closer, the crowd began to grow quieter watching in amazement as it looked like they were getting too close to the fire and still not slowing down. Then, sure enough, with all jaws dropped, the truck drove straight into the fire! Simultaneously, a huge plume of sand erupted from the back of the truck with shovels and crew a-blur in rapid motion. In a blink, the bulging sand-cloud grew to engulf the fire and with a Poof! It was out. Nothing was left but a huge mound of settling sand. The spectators and news media now aghast; dead silent in astonishment.
After a few moments, the truck slowly started back up the hill and drifted to a stop in front of the TV reporter. The crowd was still struck silent in astoundment. The still panting crew climbed down from the truck with singed hair and smoldering clothes. The TV reporter still at a loss for words finally said, “That was the most astounding thing I have ever seen! You certainly deserve the reward”, and then asked, “What do you plan to do with all that money?” After a brief pause, the crew chief said, “Well… the first thing I’m going to do is take my old truck down and get them darn brakes fixed!”
Now that may be a funny story, but there are some valuable life-lessons to learn from it. Their success was not due to any special knowledge, skills, credentials, equipment or techniques.
The unlikely fire-fighting team was successful for two reasons:
1)
Terror. Due to the truck’s failed brakes thrusting them directly into the fire, their goal suddenly changed from a remote chance at winning a contest to something far more important; far more urgent. Their driving force suddenly switched to
Terror. They were suddenly thrust into a fight for their lives, with no hope of any outside help.
2) Up-close and Personal. They succeed where the others didn’t, because their fight with the fire was intimately
up-close and personal. The other crews fought the fire from a safe distance, shooting water and chemicals at it, but did not address the fire directly at its source.
Likewise, my success in discovering my non-traditional management method, saving me from the perils of diabetes, was not smarts - and certainly not bravery or any other impressive attribute; I was faced with those same two conditions:
I was terrified because I knew nothing about diabetes and I realized during my hospital stay that it was imminently lethal and I realized that neither my doctor nor the hospital staff had any clue. I was dying in the hospital and about to be discharged. I decided that I had to do it on my own - up-close and personal.
FYI, that was 34 years ago. I still have no type 1 diabetes health conditions. I consider myself a Non-Diabetic Diabetic.
