A town called Paradise.

During my college years, oh mumblemumble years ago, I remember reading a story I wish I could recall the name or the author. So if anyone reading this happens to know of the story I’m referencing here please let me know. I have seen the story-line often portrayed in various iterations in tv and movie programs since then so I believe it’s a well-known tale. Anyway…

There once was a town called Paradise. All the people were happy and healthy, enjoying life as any other town would. However they had a special edge that no other town had, for it was that for one full day one member of the town would be visited by all the sorrows of the town so that the rest of the town would have joy and remain sorrow-free. The choosing was done by simple lottery, and since there were many people in the town the likelihood that the same person received the sorrows was perhaps months in-between.

One day there came upon a man who said “surely those that are young of age, who have not known sorrow in their lives, should not be made to experience such grand sorrow so soon”. The people of the town talked about it and finally agreed that the children would not be part of the lottery.

Another man spoke up, “surely those that have lived for so long, that have already seen their fair share of sorrow on their own, should not continue such grand sorrow.” Again they talked and agreed that those of ongoing years have earned their rest and not be put into the lottery.

A third man rose to speak, “surely those that are lame, who have suffered disease and pain, should not be made to take on so many others’ grand sorrow”. Some disagreed but they finally relented lest they be called cold of heart.

So as time continued as time does, the number of people in the lottery became fewer and fewer. Those that remained began to receive the sorrow more often than they had before. Over time other people rose and gave reasons to have names removed, and more often those that remained continued the sorrow to the point it was almost daily. When they complained their cries were ignored, after all it was a fair price for everyone else’s joy they were told.

Ultimately these few could no longer sustain the sorrow and decided to leave Paradise. Without them the spell was broken and all in the town were visited by their own sorrows.

We see these lessons today where we demand some people to pay for the leisure of others and yet cry they aren’t paying their “fair share”. We see businesses leave over-taxed states or even to other countries to flee burdensome governments, whether local or federal. It has become a fetish in this country to insist on killing the golden geese instead of recognizing and respecting the good they do, all the while shouting down complaint.

The lesson of the town of Paradise is that we as a nation can lift a mountain with hardly any effort at all, yet it is this compulsion that some have to exclude essentially themselves from the normal everyday consequences of life. At times those “grand sorrows” are more for some then others, yet we all get them and we all deal with them. The thought of “well we can manage that another way” is what ultimately causes the decline of a town, a state, a country, to the point where a few need to lift that mountain and it becomes impossible. This becomes no longer “fair” and Paradise ceases to be.