Growing Good Corn

Author Unknown

There was a Nebraska farmer who grew award-winning corn. Each year he
entered his corn in the state fair where it won a blue ribbon.

One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something
interesting about how he grew it. The reporter discovered that the
farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors.

‘How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors
when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?’ the
reporter asked.

‘Why sir,’ said the farmer, ‘didn’t you know? The wind picks up pollen
from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my
neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade
the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my
neighbors grow good corn.’

So it is in other dimensions. Those who choose to be at peace must help
their neighbors to be at peace. Those who choose to live well must help
others to live well, for the value of a life is measured by the lives
it touches. And those who choose to be happy must help others to find
happiness for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all.