Meditations of Siosi

The Wordweaver & The Camel

Once upon a time, a boy discovered the power of words. He used these words for both good and evil, truth and lies. However, as he grew up, he learned to use it more for lies - to himself and others - as this is what he experienced the most at home.

One day, the boy saw an old, but animated, man at a market. This man used his words to create tales and attract audiences that he could make cry or laugh at will. He mixed truth with his stories, making them that much more believable. But what really made him interesting was the depth of conviction he displayed. When the boy watched him, he could not help but feel that he was weaving tales from his own life. It was then that the boy decided to become a word-weaver - a profession which was typically reserved for the lower classes in his society.

When he informed his parents of his desires, they yelled at him for being both foolish and selfish. They said that there was no future in this, and that they needed him to help run the family business. So, he went back to his normal life, working the family business and making ends meet. He felt hopeless, lost and empty inside.

One night, as the boy laid in bed, he looked out of his window and saw the silhouette of a camel under the moonlight. Then, to his surprise, the camel walked slowly towards him. Finally, its head peered into his window. In its mouth, was a book, and the camel then shoved it down the boy’s throat until he felt it touch his heart. The camel then spoke without moving its lips, “When you follow your heart, everybody wins.” The camel walked away slowly, but with a sense of purpose and direction in its stride. The boy then woke up abruptly from his dream. He knew what he had to do.

The next morning, the boy gathered his essentials and told his parents he was leaving. They shouted and protested and the mother even went as far as disowning him from the house. The boy was devastated but, as hard as letting go was, he turned his back on the family in order to follow his heart.

Many years later, the boy returned to his hometown as a master word-weaver. He had traveled the world, become very wealthy, and learned many things, but he did it all so he could come back and share it with the people who thought he had abandoned them: his family.

There were cries, wales and lots of hugging but, the next day, the boy’s parents sold their business and tried to give him all their money, “You did what we could never do. All this time, we lied to ourselves that working hard came first, and following our hearts came last. We thought that was the truth of the world because our parents said so. You did what we could never do. We are so sorry…”

The boy politely declined the offering. He replied, “You have worked hard for the family, but you have lost yourselves in the process. You don’t owe me anything, but you do owe yourselves. What good is giving of yourself, if there’s nothing left to give or, worse yet, there’s no receiving? I am sharing my story with you, so you may create your own. It is never too late.”

A week later, hand-in-hand in their beds, the boy’s parents passed away. At the funeral, as the boy shared his story, a camel walked by. No one seemed to notice, but it did not matter. Although the boy had yearned for the Camel’s presence during his life trials and tribulations, he now knew that he had to go out into the world to fulfil his soul’s mission - like the camel who travels across the desert in search of an oasis.

Later on that evening, the boy walked through the markets he used to visit. As he neared the end of its maze, he looked up at a building, which read: “School of the Weavers. Share your story so others may create theirs.” The boy smiled, “Thanks mom and dad.”