The Professor
It just so happens that not so long ago there was a professor, a famous man, a studied man, a professor who embarked on a journey to visit many cities around Costa Rica. Dressed much as all the professors of the day he had his suit and tie, clean shoes and spyglass, a cane as well. For he was a man who was born in the city, raised and educated at the best schools, learned in Greek and Latin, mathematics and philosophy, knew all there was to know.
And it just so happens that during his journey, he encountered a river which he had to cross, but over which there was no bridge. He looked all around and sure enough, down at the river side stood a villager next to a sturdy little boat. He approached the man and it just so happened that he was the boat man, in charge of taking travelers across the river.
“Ulpe! Ulpe! Ulpe!” The professor said, approaching the man. “Might you happen to be the man who might help me across this here river?”
“Why oh yes sir - that I am. I am the boat man, that’s my profession and that’s what I do; I take people across this here river, from this side to the other – and back if they need it. This is what my father did and his father before him,” said the humble boat man.
Glancing at the river, seeing the strong current and gauging the sturdiness of the little boat as well as the experience of its operator, he asked the man: “So, you’ve been here your whole life, you’ve never been to school or university?”
“No sir, my father taught me from an early age how to help the people of the country across this here river, that’s what he did his whole life, rest in peace, and his father before him, rest in peace, and that’s what I do now.” He ushered the professor on to the boat.
Boarding the boat, amazed, the professor inquired: “So, good Sir, you mean to tell me that you know nothing of addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, or the like?”
“No Sir, I have to say I don’t.”
“And nothing of the history of the world? Of geology? Of geography? Of medicine or philosophy?”
“No sir, what I know is my profession, taught to me by my father and his father before him.”
Astonished, the professor exclaimed: “My dear Sir, with all due respect, I do believe you’ve lost HALF OF YOUR LIFE!”
The boatman smiled humbly, letting the professor calm down, and continued paddling the boat across the powerful river. They were making good progress when it just so happened that a curious thing came to pass and the river flipped the boat right over – dumping the professor and the boatman into the river.
The professor flailed and flapped, both men trying to hold onto the overturned boat. And as the professor screamed wildly with the water taking him over, the boatman yelled: “Professor, Sir, don’t you know how to swim?”
“No!” The professor said desperately.
“Professor, Sir! I do believe you’ve lost ALL OF YOUR LIFE!”
Love.
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