BUT, NOT NOW...

"Sir, I want my daughter to become a fine public speaker. Will your course help her?

"Sir, my son lacks self-confidence. Can you help him to be confident?"

“Sir, I want to improve my English... I want to learn how to speak fluently. Can you help me?"

The sir has this ready answer: "Of course, yes. I can certainly help. But… "

"But, what?"

"But, this." I tell them this little story.

Once, a Parish priest of one of the churches began to receive frequent complaints that many of his parishioners spent a lot of their time and money in the local liquor bar. Disturbed by this development, the priest decided to end this nuisance, once and for all. So, one night, dressed in his civil clothes, the Father stormed the bar. He was shocked to see, that at least twenty of his church members were having a good time there, all drunk.

"Your shameless sinners," the Priest did not waste his time to blast, "Get out of this hell." He thundered again, "Get out, I said. Get out… Right now."


Scared by this bombardment, all the faithful, at once, got out of the shady joint.

"Now, listen to me, you useless fellows," declared the Parish priest, "Those of you who want to go to Heaven, come and form a line on my side."


Instantly, every one of them jumped on to the Father's side and stood there in a line... except one. It was our Johnny. The Father was surprised. "And, you Johnny," he asked,” are you sure, you don't want to go to Heaven?"

Trying to balance himself firmly on the ground, Johnny quickly gave his response, "Of course, Father, I want to. But…"

“But, what?” the Father was impatient to know.


"But, not now!"

For now, our Johnny wants to have a good time on earth. Who wants to go to Heaven now? Let others go, if they want to. Let them die… Johnny doesn’t want to.


Yes, "But, what?" they ask me, too.

I tell them, "But, this: Every body wants to go to Heaven... But, nobody wants to die!"


"Of course, I can help you," I tell my own Johnnys, "but, not unless and until you are willing to get out your shady joints!"





GERALD D'CUNHA

Comments

Girish Dhameja said…
A very intresting story of little Johny. Willingness to learn and determination in acquiring skills can reach anybody to any heights. "As rightly said if you think you can you are right and if you think you can't you are still right" Even for eating food we have to lift our hand, have to chew the food.....
June 24, 2010 at 12:00 PM
Gerald D'Cunha said…
Girish,

I tell this Jonney story regularly in the class. You know how these kids are (and we were certainly not different, you see)! They (We) all want to go to heaven without dying!

"If wishes were horses, even beggars would ride them."... This saying is not there for nothing.

Love,

GERRY
June 24, 2010 at 12:29 PM
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