The Parable of the Geode

Once there was a cave full of glittering crystals.  This cave was situated near a popular mountain trail, and so became a major attraction for hikers.  During the Spring, Summer and Autumn months the cave was flooded with tourists and natives alike.  People “oohed” and “aahed” and flashed cameras, often pointing out favorite formations and clusters.

Amid the sparkling glamour of a particularly gorgeous crystal bed, there lay a rock.  A magnificent rock of his kind, but in comparing himself to the beauty of the gems he felt downright ugly.  No one wanted a picture of him.  No one commented on how amazing he looked.  He told himself that all he ever did was get in the way of what the people really wanted to see.  And all he wanted was for someone to notice him, to say he was good enough.  But he never noticed when someone did.

Years went by.  Snow came.  It melted.  Leaves grew, then fell, and snow came again.  As this cycle rotated again and again, the rock became more and more miserable.  He dwelt only on the fact that he wished he was something he wasn’t.

Then one day, a certain man entered the cave.  He wore the apparel of one who often works with minerals.  As he walked through the cave toward the rock he admired the crystals, making comments supported by more knowledge than any previous visitor had possessed.

“How wonderful,” thought the rock.  “This man, of all people, will know and acknowledge my worthlessness.”

The man soon reached the place where the rock lay.  He didn’t say a word, but examined the rock for a moment before slipping him into a bag at his side.

A few hours later, the rock was retrieved from the bag and placed on a table beneath a bright light.  The man carefully positioned a very small chisel on the rock’s side.  He gave the chisel a few small taps.  The rock began to crack.  A little more manipulation from the man’s skillful hands and the rock separated in half, falling open on the table.

Little rainbows of reflected light jumped onto the walls and ceiling.  Some of the purest, finest crystal that had ever been seen had just been found.  For so long the rock had believed that he was worthless because he didn’t look like the other crystals.  But he eventually realized that he really was a gem inside.

The End