Brownwood Benevolence

He had lived many years among his own in a constant blissful existence with no apparent purpose other than to exist and to share his existence with others of like appearance and thought. Having changed locations frequently due to external circumstances, he had put no roots down--having none anyway--nor had he any desire for permanency, preferring to live in an egalitarian world where all changed at whim but nothing in fact had ever changed. According to Emerson, "the more things change, the more they stay the same," and stay the same, he did, for although subject to quick change of venue, his mundane world remained mundane, trivial, and sadly purposeless. He had no name, no character, no history, no future, and no meaning for his life. He was a grain of sand, tiny and bland, and his purpose was to live devoid of purpose and simply react to external events such as wind, or earthquake, or the most exciting method, human interference.

As the rain progressed in the city of Brownwood, the fear of flooding grew rampant particularly among business and home owners with a history of flooding, but unlike other communities where individuals find themselves in a state of panic and unable to make any decisions to lead to a solution, the city of Brownwood made a large amount of sand available to its citizens. Which takes us back to our friend, the grain of sand.

Sitting among his other friends watching the people shovel sand in the bags, he realized that his life had meaning and if all went well, he would soon be on his way to fulfilling his purpose as a grain of sand, to help someone else, to be selfless, altruistic, and vital to prevention of a potential disaster. Soon his turn came, and he was placed among other grains of sand where they all gathered for their brief journey to a home or business. Although weak by himself, there was great strength in numbers, and his confidence grew quickly that they, working together, would be able to stop the excess water. He was placed quickly but gently in a location to serve his time as a block against the flooding.

His life journey and life purpose occupied his thoughts as he sat there reflecting on the recognition that the City of Brownwood had provided a remarkable tool for self-preservation, and he realized that, although it took some individual effort to fill up bags, many people working together could and did make a positive difference. Ironically, the floods never came, but the spirit of cooperation and compassion remained intact. The benevolence of Brownwood found fruition that day as a community came together for the good of the whole. As John Donne said:

No man is an island, entire of itself
every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main
if a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were,
as well as if a manor of thy friends or of thine own were
any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind
and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls
it tolls for thee.

Our little grain of sand found meaning due to the wisdom and efforts of the people of Brownwood. We live in a community of great charity, benevolence, and kindness.