Once upon a time there was this magical kingdom. It prospered and was considered the greatest in the world. Slowly, however it began to lose some of its magic. Traditions changed, citizens became complacent and dependent on the central government. Complaints were made by some, but there was no consensus on what was needed to regain the magic. Oh, there were those with shrill voices who pontificated that they held the “truth” in their words.
Too frequently their “words” were those which benefited them, and did not rightly consider the whole of the kingdom. Elections were held with much debate – and promises that were seldom kept. Each candidate swore upon his/her god that they knew the true way to restoring the magic in the kingdom. They each had a “plan” which usually befitted those who backed them. If they managed to convince enough citizens that they would be benefited by their righteous plan, they were often elected.
The portions of the plan which benefited the winners were implemented so that they could continue in office. When you are in a magic kingdom, sleight of hand is very valuable. Many of the winning candidates were very successful in use of that talent. Thus, as the years went by the magic slowed and then with more speed began to evaporate from the kingdom. Many became more interested in “benefits” than in what was necessary to secure the success of a free and noble kingdom.
Then one election year a miracle occurred. Now, there were two opposition groups and both decided independently that the magic really needed to be restored to the kingdom. They could readily see what was happening and they feared for their children’s and grandchildren’s future. They saw that “changes” did not necessarily make for a better world unless they were established for the benefit of all and not just those who complained the most.
Thus, they each began a search for as perfect a candidate as could be found. Those with the shrill voices and sleight of hand suddenly discovered that they were not to be considered. They were outraged, but found that they could not prevail against the concept of restoring the magic to the kingdom. Forlorn and without hope for their “plans”, they found that they had to join in the plan to restore the “magic”. Both groups went forward with their plan to find an honest, compassionate candidate who would truly keep the concept of “benefit to all” in mind and would ignore personal rewards for themselves, family and friends.
It was not easy to find such candidates, but they did. Both groups agreed that fund raising would be limited and that any debates would be free of unkind remarks. The residents were amazed at this transformation of the two groups, and responded accordingly. Discussions and debates were limited to reasoned strategies that would make the Magic Kingdom great again. Ultimately, one candidate was successful and all citizens and other elected officials joined in the effort for greatness once more.
Don’t you wish we lived in a magic kingdom like that!
Villager Barry Evans writes about “Life in The Villages” for Villages-News.com