A Sign Beside The Gate

     There once was farmer who had a great Gift for growing apples who went to the marketplace to explore all the lovely goods that his neighbors had created. He met many other types of farmers and artists and musicians and seamstresses and chefs and such at the market and felt very pleased to be able to make their acquaintance. He felt it truly his blessing to know such great neighbors and belong to such an exceptional community. He secretly wished them all great luck in their own passionate endeavors and said a prayer for each and every one of them for great joy and success as he said farewell.

     As the day progressed the farmer found himself meeting more and more lovely neighbors and wishing them all well. As he met each one, he made a mental note of what each one's Gift was and where they said they lived. "Hmmm?" he said to himself, "Maybe someday I will need what they offer and can stop by their place to purchase it or somehow help them to produce it." He always liked to do business with his neighbors since he thought of them as friends and family.

     As he left each stand, he reciprocated with his own Gift and let them know that he had the finest organic apples available for sale and that his farm was located at the end of Peace Way, just past the crook in the stream. "Should you ever find yourself in need of apples or just want chat, do stop by. My wife makes a mean apple cider and would be tickled to share it with a friend and neighbor," he said as he bid them farewell.

     Not long after his visit to the market, the farmer started having more and more visitors. One gal, from the local horse rescue said she knew her horses, "Would certainly adore any of the left over apples the farmer could spare". Another was a chef at the local elementary school who was always looking for interesting ways to prepare fun foods for the kids. He wondered did the farmer have any ideas for using apples in meals, desserts, beverages, etc. and would he be so kind to sell them at a good price to the school? Then there was the neighbor who farmed earthworms to make organic fertilizer, "Maybe I can take the rotten apples off your hands?"

     The farmer was very pleased to be able to help all these causes and offer forth that which he felt to be his true calling. His work felt so much more fulfilling knowing that others could benefit by the time he spent in the orchards. This made him want to share even more.

     But then, a strange thing started to happen. One day a sewing machine distributor stopped by. "I met you at the market place and wondered if you would like to buy my wares"  said the visitor. The farmer certainly wanted to help the salesman but he had no need of a sewing machine. Still, the farmer sat and listened to the salesman's presentation, just so that the man felt listened to.

     Then a belly dancer stopped by. "Would you like to see me dance?" she asked. Well, of course he would enjoy her art, but the day was running short and his apples were yet to be picked. Still, as not to discourage her passion for her Gift, he and his wife sat and watched her dance. She was in fact a very good dancer. Unfortunately though, he had no party or gathering for her to dance at. He made a note of where she lived to pass along to friends, said a prayer for her and bid her farewell.

     This went on for quite some time and as the community grew, more and more people began stopping by. Some came just to say hello and get to know the farmer and his wife better. He really enjoyed spending time with these folks. He genuinely cared about these people and wanted to be a good neighbor. Some came to visit about things regarding apples and he again found great pleasure in imparting wisdom about his Gift.  Many others came to visit about their own personal Gifts and needs unrelated to apples. The farmer, wanting to be supportive, listened to them all, said a prayer for them and bid them farewell as he memorized where they lived in case he could help in the future.

     And then one day, as the farmer sat in his parlor entertaining the local ferret trainer, one of his staff came to tell him that a frost was expected that night. "A frost?" gasped the farmer, "But we haven't begun to harvest the fruit!". It was at that moment that he realized he had been spending so much time supporting everyone else's dreams(he didn't even have a ferret for gosh sakes) and being kind and listening to their presentations, that he hadn't had time to attend to his own.

     From then on out, he vowed to focus on his own Gift and projects first so that the world would benefit from his calling. All the others he decided to pray for and trusted that they too would find just the right people at just the right time to help them succeed with their Gift. The community would certainly have need of their Gift at some time or another and would also be able to assist when they were finished cultivating their own Gifts he thought.

     As a result of the new found understanding, the apple farmer decided to post a large white printed sign by the gate to his farm that read:

Hello. I am your friendly neighborhood apple farmer. I would be very happy to help you with all your apple related needs. I would love to align with other apple farmers so that we might also synergize with each other. I also wish you great success with your non-apple related needs, however, it is necessary that I focus on my Gift for apples so that which I have come to share can better serve the world. I encourage you to post your own sign at your gate stating your Gifts. When my work with the apples allows and I have extra time, I will drive by and see what you are currently producing so that I might partake in or share with others your Gift. I will also visit you at the market when ever I am in need of your Gift. In the meantime, I wish you many blessings and am honored to be your neighbor.

Zaadz by definition is an "online community" but to me, Zaadz is very much my real community and the Zaadzsters are all my neighbors. I take great pride in being associated with such great souls and am honored to share this neighborhood. I have never before met such a group of devoted and loving beings all in one place. There isn't a day that I don't wish I were in closer physical proximity to so many of you.

I have been noticing however, that I (and according to many others I speak to) am receiving loads of "solicitation type" emails. While I really and truly want to be able to support every good cause in this Zaadz-o-sphere, I realize how impossible it is to do so and am also aware that having to sort through all the mail takes that much more time away from producing/providing the Gifts that I came here to earth to share.

That is why I wrote this little fable.... not to offend or repel anyone.... but to bring light to what all the emails could possibly be causing. It is my understanding that blogs were originally intended so that electronic material could be distributed to a broad spectrum of people all at the same time without having to disturb their privacy. The Zaadz Wizards have even built in an amazing tool so that we can subscribe to the blogs of our friends, get notification of new posts and read them when we have a free minute and a desire to do so. Quite often, the emails that I receive are duplications to the blog I have already read.

So please, everyone, again, I don't mean to offend or repel you. I very much welcome your friendship and getting to know you on a personal level (which also includes your business or cause-but not just your business or cause). That is infact why I came here; to align with and make new friends; to have mutual, reciprocal and balanced relationships. If you feel called to drop by "for some apple cider" I am honored and the door is always open. If you have something that you know I just absolutely have to see; I am tickled. If you want to send an occational business or cause related update; super, but when you ask to be my (and others) "friend" you do not ask to "market your ‘wares'" to me on a regular basis. 

So please respect your neighbors time and privacy. May I suggest putting up a sign (a blog) beside your gate (profile) and using it to keep those of us in your neighborhood apprised of your travels and passions and victories and even your needs. And by all means, do take your 'wares' and causes to the marketplace and post your special functions in townsquare so that we all can come and partake regularly, when we choose and have free time to do so.