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一位木匠年事已高,准備退休。他跟他的老板說,他打算離開房屋建造業,去和自己的妻子過一種較為悠閑的日子,享受大家庭的天倫之樂。看到自己的好工人要離開,老板感到很惋惜。他問老木匠能否出於個人幫忙再建造一座房屋,木匠答應了。但過了幾天,人們很容易看出來木匠沒有用心工作。他乾起活來敷衍了事,用的是劣質材料。如此結束自己兢兢業業的職業生涯真令人遺憾。
木匠把房屋建好後,老板前來檢查。隨後,他把那座房屋的前門鑰匙遞給木匠,說:『這是你的房子,是我送給你的禮物。』木匠驚呆了!真丟臉!要是他知道他造的是自己的房屋,就會做得完全不一樣了。
我們就像那個老木匠一樣。我們建造著自己的生活,常常是心不在焉,最後,我們吃驚地發現,自己不得不住在自己建造的房屋裡。如果能重新來一遍,我們會做得大不相同。但是,你不能回頭重來。有人曾經說過:『生活就是一項自己動手建造的工程。』你的態度,你今天作出的選擇,都在幫助你建造著你明天將要住進去的『房屋』。因此,明智地建造自己的房屋吧!
An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer of his plans to leave the house-building business to live a more leisurely life with his wife and enjoy his extended family. The employer was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but over time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end a dedicated career.
When the carpenter finished his work, his employer came to inspect the house. Then he handed the front-door key to the carpenter and said, 『This is your house…my gift to you.』 The carpenter was dumbfounded! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently.
So it is with us. We build our lives, often putting less than our best into the building. Then, with a shock, we realize we have to live in the house we have built. If we could do it over, we would do it much differently. But, you cannot go back. Someone once said, 『Life is a do-it-yourself project.』 Your attitude, and the choices you make today, help build the 『house』 you will live in tomorrow. Therefore, build wisely!
(摘自2010年8月《英語沙龍》)
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