Treatise for picking cherries
to fill an order of 5 kg
This morning I walked to the cherry tree, basket in hand. I started at the bottom, gently picking all that I could reach; there were not enough. I climbed into the tree and extended my reach, placing more into the basket. I walked back to the house and weighed them: only 2.5 kg. I took a ladder, loaded it onto a wheelbarrow and wheeled it down the road to the tree. The higher branches were very full. Excited, I picked quickly, tasting the sweet cherries and grateful for the tools that enabled me to fulfill my task.
The ladder shook in the loose dirt and I jumped before falling. Excitement can cause one to become ungrounded, jeopardizing the self and the task. Sometimes this is a good thing, but not always. Thinking I had enough I wheeled the ladder back to the house and weighed the cherries. I needed 333 grams more, the weight of the box. I reflected on the morning’s activity. The first visit to the tree gave me the gift of cherries. The second, with the right tools, enabled me to reach places I could not by myself. The third, for only a few, reminded me that when I could effortlessly pick them I should take extra for friends. As I was finishing, a friend came to carry back the ladder for me.
Each person is like an instrument, and their unique purpose is a key for the co-creation of a beautiful world. When you think of others, the work gets lighter.
