A Parable

Once upon a time there was a village in which lived all different kinds of people. Each person had a particular role to fill to ensure that the village ran smoothly and that conflicts were averted before they became serious. One villager had the responsibility of removing all garbage from the city limits and properly disposing of it so that it would neither affect the village nor harm the environment. All the villagers brought their garbage to his place of business through an elaborate yet efficient system of conveyor belts, pulleys, lifts, and windmills. The garbage man had an equally elaborate system of hauling the garbage out of the city. He had carried on his duties more or less faithfully for many years, and as a result the village lived in harmony--or, at least, whatever disharmony it faced was not a result of his failure to live up to his responsibilities.

By and by some strangers moved to the village. Much to the surprise of some of the villagers, the strangers brought with them many new things to be used in the village. The strangers were convinced, and attempted to convince the villagers, that these new things would be beneficial, and would only contribute to the better maintenance and sustained long-term growth of the village. While many villagers eagerly took to the innovations, some were resistant in varying degrees.

One person whose resistance took on a marked tone was the garbage man. Although never one to publicly state any concerns in town hall meetings and the like, he engaged in a passive-aggressive resistance campaign of which all the villagers and the strangers could not fail to take notice. On some days, the garbage man would allow the refuse that the villagers had sent him to pile up at his place of business so that the stench would waft through the rest of the village. When there were complaints, he responded that it was his job to take care of the garbage and he would do so when he was ready. Then, without telling anyone, he loaded all of the accumulated garbage onto the removal system and set it in motion. Unfortunately, he had overloaded the system, and while much of the garbage was eliminated from the city, further problems were created. When complaints came to him again, he once again shut down the business, declaring it was necessary to repair the removal system, and allowed the garbage to pile up like it had before.

This went on for some time, until village leaders elicited the help of a neighboring city whose technical knowledge of environmental concerns was of renown in the region. Based on the recommendation of the scientists living in the other city, the village leaders have now repaired the aqueduct system in the village. It is hoped that the transfer of fresh water through the city, including past the garbage man's location, will help convince him to return to return to his former efficient operation. It is also hoped that the innovations brought by the strangers will further enhance rather than detract from the beauty of life in the village.