Intro: Pounding bass note and a stirring fanfare of horns. Welcome to another edition of Things to Think about. Here's Stacy. The horns continue with a keyboard note held.
Relaxing piano music is in the background.
Welcome to the Things to Think About podcast, where we use fables and fairy tales to uncover deeper truths about our subconscious world. I'm Stacy Casson, and today's story explores how we tackle obstacles. We will delve into these encounters in a tale I call “Get Out of the Way.” And now, get comfortable and relax. Take a deep breath in. And exhale. A deep breath in and exhale. A deep breath in and exhale. And if you'd like, you can slowly close your eyes.
Once upon a time, there was a stone dragon named Snag in the path. The path was not fixed and showed up in many places and times. Today we will meet four travelers and learn how they fare. Mx. Yield was in a hurry. They were trying to get a rare object and had heard it was over in the next town. As they rounded the bend, they saw Snag sitting motionless and blocking the path. There was no way around it without dying. Mx. Yield saw that it was made of stone and cursed about why someone would build a statue in the middle of the blasted road. They put a hand on its snout to try and climb over it when Snag snorted, throwing our hapless traveler to the ground. Mx. Yield succumbed to the terror and hastily ran down the path away from Snag.
Mx. Strike blustered down the path when they encountered Snag. They had a very important engagement in the town and had no patience for delays. They, too, began to climb and were also thrown back. Snag casually opened an eye to peer at the cause of its disturbance. Mx. Strike was made of sterner stuff and would not back down. “Move, you foul beast!” they roared and shoved at Snag. Snag once again closed its eyes, bored by the human’s antics. Our brave traveler drew a fearsome great sword and, using both hands, brought it down on Snag’s snout. With a whoosh, Snag incinerated Mx. Strike and went back to sleep.
Our next traveler had listened to the tales of a fantastic creature who blocked the path and decided to learn all they could to be strategic. It would be too much time and effort to build a fireproof suit, so instead, they planned to vault over the creature. Hearing that the beast only seemed to attack when provoked, they planned to be up and over before Snag was any the wiser. Mx. Allset carefully approached the beast to assess best how to execute the plan. Snag appeared to be sleeping, so they grabbed the pole and calculated it was long enough to get over the dragon. Giving themselves plenty of room, they ran full tilt towards Snag, planted their stick, and vaulted into the air. Thwack! They launched themselves skyward and promptly crashed into a wing as Snag chose that moment to stretch them out. Other than a few bruises, Mx. Allset was unharmed. Dejected, they turned away from the path.
There are many travelers and conditions in which they meet Snag. Mx. Pax is the last traveler in this particular tale. Their destiny awaited them beyond the path, and they wondered how they would defeat the terrible Snag. When they saw the great stone dragon, they took a moment to study its impressive presence. Cautiously they approached the beast and kneeled in a gesture of respect when they got close. A mildly painful sensation began in their head, bringing a strange type of communication. They did not hear as much as they felt the dragon ask, “Why are you here?” “I wish to meet my destiny beyond the path,” they timidly responded. “What do you require of me?” Snag answered, “I require nothing but a price must be paid.” Mx. Pax thought carefully and noticed that the dragon’s body was covered in lichen. “Would you like me to clean the lichen off your body?” “You would do that for me, human?” responded Snag. “It itches me so, and I cannot remove it.” After the lichen was gone, the great dragon stood up and instructed the traveler to walk under its legs. Hoping the great beast would not change its mind, they began to walk to meet their destiny.
How do you deal with challenges? Do you run away? Attack? Try a short cut or do you engage respectfully? And now you can take a deep breath in and exhale. A deep breath in and exhale. Deep breath in and exhale. And when you're ready, wiggle your toes. Wiggle your fingers and slowly open your eyes. If you're enjoying this podcast, please tell a friend.
Closing: Closing jazzy keyboard and thrumming bass. I hope you enjoyed today's segment. Tell a friend. See you next time. Music fades.
