The Fence, A Parable
by Wayne "Gramps" Franklin

Once upon a time, there was a man living atop a large mesa. This nice man lived with a dog, not for a pet but for companionship. The man and his dog shared almost everything. They ate together. They played together. They enjoyed each other's company each day.

Living on a mesa had its advantages, but there were also perils--namely the all-surrounding cliff. The kind man wished no harm to come to his beloved dog, so he instructed the dog to avoid the edge of the cliff, lest he fall to his death. He even took his furry friend to the edge to show him the dangers and the horrible consequences of falling off the mesa.

One day, while frolicking alone for a brief time, the curious dog wandered near the edge of the mesa, looking into the apparent abyss below. He knew it was dangerous, but his judgment failed him anyway. Just as the less-than-wise dog crouched to dive off the cliff into the wrongly perceived adventure awaiting him, the returning man leapt forward to grab him. The loving man held his dog tightly in his arms while the dog shook with realized fear. Scolding the dog, the man again pronounced his love and concern for the dog's welfare, warning him of the dangers of the cliff and what lay far below.

In an effort to protect the dog from future lapses in judgment, the man decided to mar the glorious views from the mesa by constructing a fence around the perimeter, just within the cliff. It was a modest fence, meant as a reminder to the dog to avoid the cliff. As the man soon learned, though, the dog still had the ability to squeeze underneath the fence.

After watching the dog wriggle under the fence, the man managed to catch the dog just before he jumped off the cliff. After pulling the dog back from the edge, hauling him over the fence to the safe side, and carrying him to the house, the man tended to the wounds the dog got while struggling beneath the fence.

It was evident to the man that his modest fence, meant as a reminder, was not enough to protect the dog from his foolish desire toward self-destruction. The concerned man rebuilt the fence, all the way around the edge of the mesa--this time with barbed wire and insufficient room to wriggle through it. The dog seemed dismayed at this improved security, for he knew it was meant to keep him inside, trapped on top of the mesa.

Repeatedly, the dog tested this improved, barbed wire fence. He approached it slowly, but received a poke in the face. He ran at it quickly, but was punctured multiple times. The confused and disappointed man tended the dog's wounds each time, lavishing love over him, and again warning him of the resultant dangers of his actions. The man took every opportunity the dog allowed to hold him, express love for him, and remind him of the joys of this home he'd built for him.

Each day, the dog would awaken with renewed vigor in his attempts to breach the perimeter security. Each day, the man would encourage his dog to give up on these deadly pursuits. The man wished to again play with his dog throughout the day, but his dog preferred to focus on the fence. After months of dogged determination, the dog had systematically mapped out the fence, found its weaknesses, stretched the wires, and eventually created several holes. Through these holes, the dog could reach the cliff. The only matter remaining was to choose the best hole.

Even though the man made what efforts he could to patch these holes, the dog's obsession made it a losing effort. At last, the dog decided it was time to leave the mesa to explore the world outside. Ignoring the repeated warnings of the man, the dog leapt through his chosen hole in the protective fence, plummeting to his assured death far below.

Grief overwhelmed the man. Even though the dog got what he wanted--supposed freedom from the mesa--there was no comfort for the man who wanted only the very best for his beloved friend.