The Road to Understanding

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“Dad?”

“Yes, Son.”

“Who made those stone walls, and why are there so many?”

“Our ancestors made the walls when they first came to the island.”

“Ant-sisters, that’s a funny name. Have I ever met one?”

“It’s an-ces-tors and yes, you have. Mom and I are your ancestors, so are both Grandads and Grandmas, and their parents, and all the people way back to the first settlers who came from the continent. It took all those people to make you, and if you have children, you’ll be one of their ancestors.”

“I get it, I think. But why did they make those walls?”

“Well, Son, there are actually two reasons. The first is the soil here is rocky. It needed to be cleared of stones so crops could be planted. People then used the rocks to build walls. The second is our ancestors felt they needed walls for protection from their neighbors, and to keep their livestock contained on their own property. Building walls started on the continent. The settlers were used to wars and disagreements. Even though they came to the island to escape war and strife, our forefathers felt things might not be any different here, so they prepared for the worst.”

“Dad, what’s war? It sounds like a bad thing. We won’t have one here, will we? I mean, what makes war happen?”

“Those are hard questions to answer, Son. I hope we’ll never see a war here. The people who live on the island may not always agree with each other, but they always put the welfare of the islanders first. On the continent, there are many, many more people. They are more concerned about what’s best for themselves and their own beliefs than what’s best for the population. On the continent, there are things called countries. People in one country may speak an unfamiliar language and have different beliefs than the people in neighboring countries. The citizens of one country may feel the best way to preserve their own way of life is to wage war on their neighbors. By eliminating other countries, they feel they will achieve lasting peace. Unfortunately, history has repeatedly shown that war isn’t the solution.”

“How big is the continent, Dad? If all those people live on it, it must be huge! Have you ever gone there?”

“Yes, I’ve been there and yes, it is huge. If you started walking from one shore, it would take you three months to reach the other shore.”

“Wow! Is that the continent we can see in the distance? I want to go there someday, Dad. I bet I can make them stop being at war. Will you take me?

“No, Son, I won’t take you. Someday, if you really want to go, you’ll need to make that trip on your own. As for today, this is your first of many trips to the port to learn the family business.”

“Thanks for taking me with you today, Dad. I love you!

(Thirty Years Later)

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“Dad, this place is still as beautiful as the day I left it for the continent.”

“Well Son, not much changes here. Old Bess died a few years ago, so we had to buy a fresh horse, and the wagon needed some repairs, but that’s about it. Of course, with my various infirmities, I don’t make the trip to town anymore. The neighbor usually handles the port trips for me now.”

“Son?”

“Yes, Dad.”

“Did you find what you were looking for on the continent?

“Yes, I did Dad. I traveled from one end of the continent to the other and back again. I met different people and experienced many cultures. Everywhere I went, I described this island and told them how we had avoided war. I tried to show the benefits of working together and putting aside prejudices. Some refused to listen and called me a subversive. Others listened and attempted to implement change, but they usually failed. Overall, I think I did as much as one man can. I realized after all my traveling that what I was looking for is right here, on this cart, taking care of the family business with you.”

“Thanks for taking me with you today, Son. I love you.”