After writing my autobiography, it is time to pick a central theme and write a parable from it. For some reason, this post where I’m writing about art, metrics and data visualization keeps coming back to me. I also have these images of a Grasshopper playing the fiddle in my head. Without further ado, a bit of Grasshopper redux:
A long time ago, on a cold, dark, Winter’s night, someone knocked on the door to the Ant family’s home. The knocking was so hard, the door shook on its hinges. “Oh, it must be the wind!” cried Sister Ant. The banging started again. “It’s a duck!!!” shouted little Brother Ant. He had been obsessed with ducks all winter and was excited at the prospect of a duck visitation. Winter was always a very long and boring time for the ant children. “Go to the bedroom you two,” said Father Ant. He wasn’t quite sure what was afoot, but knew that a knock on the door in the dead of winter could not be a good thing. Mother Ant took the two children to the family’s small bedroom.
Father Ant opened the door and looked up at the shivering grasshopper on his doorstep. Immediately, his eyes turned cold, “And what do you want?” said Father Ant.
“P-P-P-P-Please Sir!!! Just a warm place for the night. I’ll be m-m-m-m-movin’ on in the morning.”
“Right. As I recall, you spent the summer dancing and singing when all of us Ants were busy stockpiling food and making sure our houses were ship-shape for winter. Would you say that’s a fair assessment.”
“Y-y-y-yes, but it’s so c-c-c-c-c-c-cold and my f-f-f-f-f-f-eet are b-b-b-lue!”
The ant glanced down at the grasshopper’s feet which were indeed blue.
“Hmm…yes…”the ant said aloud as he rubbed his shiny, black chin. It’s true that ants are a hard working lot, but that doesn’t mean they are completely heartless. Father Ant decided to make the Grasshopper an offer.
“Well, you’ll have to earn your stay for the night. Have you got any money or anything useful to trade?” asked Father Ant. The grasshopper looked forlornly at his blue toes and exhaled. “N-n-no sir. Not really. I’ve just got me fiddle and I won’t be sellin’ that.”
Father Ant felt the small, warm hand of Brother Ant slip into his. Brother Ant tugged on his father’s arm as if he wanted to tell a secret, “Daddy is that the music player?” he whispered into Father Ant’s ear.
“Why yes, and look what he’s come to now.”
Brother Ant tugged on his arm again, “Please, Daddy, can he play us some music! Please!!!
Father Ant’s eye softened as he gazed down at his wee son and thought of how dark and boring winter was for the children. They had all worked so hard during the summer. He looked at the shivering Grasshopper in his tattered cloak and bare feet.
“Oh all, right then.” he said to the Grasshopper, “You can stay the night if you play us some music.”
The Grasshopper stayed with the Ants for not one night, but two. On the first night, he played all of their favorite songs including a song he made up for Brother about a duck. On the 2nd night, he taught the children how to sing all of their favorite songs. Father Ant was so happy that the children now had a way to amuse themselves that he referred the Grasshopper to some of the other Ant families. Thus, the Grasshopper built up a business of helping the Ants keep themselves and their children amused during the Winter and making up new songs for everyone to learn during the summer. Winter became a much happier time for the Ants and the Grasshopper’s toes were always green instead of blue.
The Lesson: Marrying what makes us joyful during our downtime with what we do to pay the rent can help us all sing a little more.
It’s the middle of Winter up here in the Northern Hemisphere. Excuse me while I pour myself a drink and dance around my living room, listening to the fiddle in Fishermen’s Blues one more time.
