A Will To Live … Revisited
Trudging through life, coping with the day to day challenges and turmoil, we sometimes need a reminder that we too can survive, even beyond all odds. Those little reminders come in various packages. Sometimes it’s a child with a serious affliction who is happy and smiling; other times a warm, frisky puppy that has not a care in the world except to please you; and occasionally it will be the totally unexpected. Such was the case one day last week.
Arriving back at the office in late afternoon, something caught my eye as I walked from the car to the office entrance. Pausing, it took a few seconds for it to register that I was seeing an empty styrofoam cup in the center turn lane of the the busy street out front. There was a push of air from heavy traffic in both directions, causing the little truncated cone to roll in an arc first one way, then the other. The occasional draft of a larger vehicle would move it up and down its chosen lane a few feet. Then more rolling in arcs around its new pivot point until another large draft moved it a few feet forward or backward.
Becoming quickly mesmerized, I stood for perhaps fifteen minutes watching the struggle, the close misses, the movement to and fro. At some point I realized I was cheering the little cup onward in its quest to survive against the impossible odds of the multi-ton monsters bearing down on it from every side. And then it occurred to me how much like life that is. Wishing the dancing traveler well, I went on into the office. Half an hour later after checking email, washing up, and shutting down for the evening, I emerged to find the cup still at it. It had moved about 20 or 30 feet down the turn lane and looked to be slightly damaged, but not enough to keep it from rolling and arcing, performing its death defying dance. After watching a few more minutes, I had to leave the cup to its unique brand of madness, knowing full well that it would be flattened or completely gone come morning.
Imagine my surprise and delight to arrive back at the office the following morning to find the cup, not squashed by one of the many behemoths that passed this way during the night, but intact, resting gently on the grass a few feet from the street. It had a nick, but was otherwise alive and well. I thought of placing the cup back in the middle of the turn lane for another go, but decided it may prefer the resting place it had chosen and worked so hard to reach. Then I was tempted to take it in and leave it sitting on my credenza as a reminder. But such an adventurer needs freedom and would not fare well in captivity. So I left it where it was.
I do not have the cup, but I do have the memory of its struggles and the lesson it taught, which was the same as the message delivered so fervently by the late Jimmy Valvano
[This is one of my favorite posts, originally published September 26, 2006. I hope you enjoy it, whether anew or again.]
15 Comments so far
Wow. How beautiful that you could find inspiration in that simple cup. In turn, I have found inspiration in your post.
Your cup runneth over. The small things in life. That’s what it’s about. Excellent, excellent post. Thanks for reminding me.
Winston,
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Thanks for this. You are in the parable-writing business, sir.
There is a six word life story meme going around.
How about.
My cup is not runneth over.
When it was safely off the road, why didn’t you pick it up and put it in the trash? Or did you?
I admit to seeing much rubbish scattered about and doing nothing about it, but I do sometimes pick something up and dispose of it.
Oh, yeah, my “trash” commentary doesn’t mean I disliked the story.
@gerry: See the last couple of sentences of final paragraph.
Winston, I remember this post so well…one of the first posts I read of yours that made me become a regular visitor at your place. I loved it then…and I love it now.
Like Joy, I loved this post back then and love it even more now. Funny how your words really can change someone’s outlook on life. Thanks for that.
I stole your link to Decrepit Old Fool.
Good find. Thanks.
I thought I remembered it! Way to go for the cup!
A Republican would have immediately gone out and rescued the cup, helped it get an education, and given it a good job.
A Democrat would let the cup suffer for a while and then give it the phone number of the local welfare office. After all, the cup is a victim of society.
Thanks for this post. I needed it today!
… I remember you telling me this story while we sipped our drinks in Knoxville…. thanks for sharing it again, Winston……