Giving Too Much

You've just hiked three miles into a magnificent forest. The sun is shining, the temperature is hovering around seventy degrees, and the humidity level is low. You breathe in the crisp air. You decide to savor the moment and rest by a waterfall a few yards further up the path. You spot a boulder that is made for sitting and settle in. You pull out a baggie full of homemade chocolate chip cookies and eat one too many. You gaze at the waterfall cascading into a lake that looks like it has been sprinkled with glitter. You hear a rustling in the bushes.

Oh no! It's a bear or maybe a coyote.

You are too frightened to move, but the rustling is getting louder. Soon you detect light footsteps. Curiosity conquers fear and you turn. You breathe a sigh of relief.

It's not a bear.

It's not a coyote.

It's not even a snake.

It's a....

demure deer. It hesitates, but doesn't take it's eyes off you. Or is this gentle creature gawking at your cookies? It must be hungry, and you've been taught to share. Do you toss some crumbs in the deer's direction or stash the baggy in your backpack? You recall signs you've read at national and state parks:

You pinch your chin. How many cookies did you just eat? You think about a sign that could be posted at your grocery store. Possibly:

WARNING

Eating food located in the center isles is not healthy for humans as their bodies don't adjust well to the salt, fat, sugar and preservatives often found in this food. If consumed, you will gain weight, feel sluggish, decrease your attention span, and crave more of these addictive substances. In addition, predators, such a heart disease and diabetes are attracted to humans with a high concentration of unnatural particles hovering in their bodies.      

You look at the deer's hopeful eyes as it continues to stare at your cookies. You recall seeing this bird the last time you crossed the border while traveling from the U.S. into Canada. 

  

The innocent vagabond is so used to people feeding it from their cars, it's not flying through the sky, plucking worms from the ground, or resting in a tree. Instead, it has taken residence on a busy highway nibbling on potato chips and Twinkie crumbs. It's not realizing its true potential or experiencing the satisfaction of self-reliance. In fact, the bird is being spoiled. What is the definition of spoil according to the dictionary?:

"Ruin something in such a way that a quality such as worth, beauty, or usefulness is diminished."

You recall seeing an unspoiled bird hunting for its own food in Yellowstone National Park:

You smile at the deer, stand and walk away.

Strolling along, accompanied by a touch of guilt, you think about your children, students, friends, society. As much as you want to give, there is always the possibility that you could give too much of the wrong things: like money without work, dessert before dinner, fun before chores. It is so tempting to watch an instant smile form on a face you care about because of a treat you bestowed. But just like the bird at the border, they will be back for more. It's just plain easier to be handed a treasure than to hunt for it. And soon the ability to hunt for the ultimate gift of independence and survival will be destroyed.

So on that day you took a hike and chose not to feed that deer, you gave it the gift of freedom, diligence, and power—so much better than a chocolate chip cookie.

Is there ever a time when you feel you give too much? I know I do. I need reminders like, "Don't feed the animals," to reign me in when my giving could be a detriment to another's growth and development.  

KICK BACK SONG OF THE WEEK:


In celebration of the quintessential gift: Independence Day by Bruce Springsteen. In this video, Bruce sings in Paris on July 4, 2012.
http://brucespringsteen.net/news/2012/independence-day-in-paris

KICK BACK BOOK OF THE WEEK:


The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupery. We can't have a Kick Back book list without this classic tale about a boy who learns how to live on his own as he travels from planet to planet.

A LITTLE SOMETHING EXTRA: