The thief and the master
The short story you are about to read is a form of message delivery, we afghans used to hear from our parents or teachers, in order to understand something. A piece of information you may need is that in islamic law of afghanistan if anyone robs his punishment is really severe.
Once upon a time, there lived a young boy in Kabul named Sina, and he had a weird obsession in stealing. It wasn’t about needing the stuff, he just got a kick out of pickpocketing people. One day, his buddy tells him, “Dude, you’re obsessed with this! I heard there is an old man who has mastered the art of robbery in this city. Why not find him and learn from the best?”
Sina’s eyes light up. He tracks down and find out the master’s house. He knocks, and an old man with eyes like marbles answers the door. Sina pours his heart out, wanting to become the master’s student.
Surprisingly, the old guy smiles and accepts. Weeks passed and day by day Sina learnt new skills to rob peoples pockets. After a while, he was feeling he was ready to go into the street and use his skills. He also shared this with the master, and his response was not any more than a smile. But he asked him to come for dinner for their last session. Sina accepts and he comes back at dinner time. They sit down, the food is prepared and ready to serve. Just as Sina is about to eat, the master stops him. “Eat with your left hand,” he commands. Sina’s confused. He’s a righty, and this feels totally awkward. Eventhough he doesn’t understand the reason, he decides to follow the master’s instruction. Food goes everywhere, and he cannot eat as comfortably and so he couldn’t enjoy the delicious dinner. After a few tries he is now fed up and complains: “Master, I can’t understand this, I am used to eat with my right hand! What is the sense in eating with my left hand if I have my right one?” The old man replies “If you want to be a thief in this city you have to learn to eat with your left hand, because they will chop off the right hand of a thief.”
This short story teaches us a lot about the decisions we want to make and paths we will choose. Its about understanding that they all have some hidden expenses that we may not be willing to pay for, but due to some reason we still choose that way. While seeking advice from experts who have already gone your desired path, don’t hesitate to ask about the sacrifices they had to make or expenses they had to pay. This way you either change your way or you go prepared.
