Don’t Be Like a Crab!

By Mark Bowser

It was around 7 AM on a mid summer morning on the Gulf shores of America. An eight-year-old boy walked out of the beach house that his family had rented for a summer vacation, and walked briskly to the beach that was right in front of their cottage.

The sand felt warm as the young boy twiddled it in between his toes. A smile of wonderment creased the corners of the young boy’s mouth like a butterfly spreading it’s wings for the first time. For you see, this was the young boy’s first visit to the beach.

The boy immediately began searching for seashells. He gathered them up in his shirt tale until it couldn’t hold any more. He knelt on his knees and dumped his small treasure on the sand in front of him.

As he was investigating and even scrutinizing his treasure, he noticed an old man walking towards him carrying a basket in his left arm. As the old man got closer, he smiled at the young boy and said, “Good morning young man. Beautiful day, isn’t it?”

The young boy looked up at the old man and simply said, “Yeah.”

“I see that you are gathering up some seashells.” said the old man.

“Yeah, they’re great. Look how many I have found.”

“That is a lot. You certainly are a good finder. This is a great beach for finding seashells,” said the old man. He noticed that the young boy was staring at his basket. “Do you want to have a look?”

The young boy nodded and stood up so he could peer into the basket. Inside the basket were twelve crabs. The crabs were milling around pulling on each other and tugging this way and that.

The young boy looked up at the old man and asked, “Don’t you need a top on that basket so they don’t get out?”

“Nay.” said the old man. “As long as you have more than one, you never need to put a top on the basket.”

Why?” Asked the bewildered boy.

“Well,” said the old man. “If you only have one crab in the basket then you do need to have a top on it because it will climb right out. But, as long as you have more than one crab you never need a top of the basket because as soon as one tries to jump out or climb out, the rest of them will reach up and yank it back down in the basket.”

“Really? Why do they do that?”

“Well, you see, crabs are losers.” The old man looked up thoughtfully and then said, “You know, young man, some people are like crabs to. Have you ever heard the saying that that person is a little crabby today? It means that they are in a bad mood or being rude. Do you like being around a person like that?”

With his eyes as big a snowballs, the young boy shook his head. “Me either,” said the old man. “So what if you and I make a pact — let’s you and me decide to never be like these here crabs in the basket. Alright?”

The boy nodded his head and smiled up at the old man. With that, the old man picked up his basket, said goodbye, and went on his way.

The young boy — now all grown up — held the seashell which he kept on his family room mantel. His wrinkled, weathered hand held it as if it were a cherished gem. He nodded to no one in particular and then turned around and handed the shell to a little eight year old girl.

The girl with red hair and freckles looked up at the boy — now an old man — and asked, “Grandpa, is this one of the shells you found on that beach sixty years ago?”

“It sure is Susan.”

“It kind of looks like a crab, doesn’t it Grandpa?” Said the girl.

“It certainly does. Susan, let me tell you a little story about crabs….”

ANNOUNCING! A New Podcast Gaining Attention — Let Me Tell You A Story with Mark Bowser

Stories are everywhere! We all love them! We love them in books, at the movies, and in our favorite podcasts. But, what if a story could be — more? What if a story could change your life in a substantial, positive way? What if a story could take you to the pinnacles of success and show you how to scale life’s mountains too?

Well, that is what Let Me Tell You a Story podcast with Mark Bowser is all about. Professional Speaker & Author Mark Bowser will take you behind the scenes of some of history’s greatest feats and unknown achievements so that their stories can be a city on a hill shining like a beacon in the night inspiring us to live our best! Come join us every Monday and Thursday! Please subscribe now so that you won’t miss one exciting episode.

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