Stumbled upon this story that my friend Ryan wrote in high school. Sometimes simplicity is the most effective in conveying a message....

The Little Boy on the Little Island

Once upon a time, there was a little boy who lived on a little island in the middle of a giant ocean. The island was very small. It was covered in sand, and had one single palm tree in the middle. There were no other people or animals, just a little boy on a little island, in the middle of a giant ocean.

The little boy sat alone under the palm tree. He stared aimlessly into the ocean. He never saw any boats or fish or birds. All he ever saw was the ocean, the sun, and the sky. As he started into the ocean, no thoughts went through his head. He had neither dreams nor ambitions. He did not know who he was, or why he was on an island. However, this did not bother him. His existence was completely innocent. He knew nothing of friends or family. He knew nothing of good, he knew nothing of bad. He was never hungry. He was never thirsty. He was never happy. He was never sad. He was never angry. He was never tired. He never aged. He was just a little boy on a little island, in the middle of a giant ocean.

One night, as the little boy sat by the tree, a huge storm hit the island. There were humongous waves, tons of rain, and strong winds. The little boy did not understand what was happening. He did not know how to feel scared or worried. So he sat there, surrounded by a huge storm. He did not sweat, he did not cry. He did not yell or pray for help. He was just a little boy on a little island, in the middle of a giant ocean.

The next morning, a raft arrived on the island. It was a little girl who was crying. For the first time, the little boy stood up from his spot under the tree. He walked to the raft. The little boy and little girl stared into each others eyes. They did not speak, just dazed into each others eyes for hours. The little girl stopped crying. The little boy sat down in his spot by the tree. The little girl sat down next to him. They sat together, holding hands, looking into the ocean. They never spoke, just sat and stared. They were just a little boy and a little girl on a little island, in the middle of a giant ocean.

This simple relationship lasted for many years, until once again, a storm struck the island. Once again, the little boy sat there calmly. However, the girl began to cry and scream. She ran to her forgotten raft, and pushed it out to sea. The raft broke, and wood and some rope lay on the island. The little girl cried and cried, and the little boy did nothing. Eventually, he went to hold her hand, but out of nowhere a giant wave hit the island. It swept the little girl out to the ocean. The little boy sat back down, just a little boy on a little island, in the middle of a giant ocean.

The little boy felt different that he had ever felt before. He couldn’t sit there aimlessly. His mind wandered. He missed the little girl. He couldn’t stay still. He paced around the island. He cried, he shouted out. He cursed the giant ocean. He cursed the little girl for being swept away. This went on for many years, until one night the little boy could no longer handle it. His heart had been filled with emotion and he no longer understood his existence. He grabbed the rope from the broken raft, and tied it around his neck. He hung himself from that palm tree. With his last gasp of breath, he realized he could never be a little boy on a little island, in the middle of a giant ocean again.