Todd Elliot, son of the notorious story teller Doug Elliot, became something of a friend of mine when we were nine years old. Our parents met at a bluegrass festival and immediately found each other’s intellectual conversation quite stimulating. We soon became close friends and summery north carolina adventures came tumbling from all different directions.
One night, above all the rest, reminds me of why I loved the unity I experienced with them.
“Some travelers, tired and weary, come to a small village, carrying nothing more than an empty cooking pot. Upon their arrival, the villagers (hungry themselves) were unwilling to share any of their food stores with these hungry visitors. The travelers, not giving up hope, fill their one pot with water, drop a large stone into it, and place it over a fire in the village square. One of the villagers, a small boy walking home from working in the mines, hungrily glances at the soup and asks what they are making. They tell the young boy that they are in the process of making “stone soup” which tastes wonderful, though could use a little bit of garnish to improve the flavor. The boy does not mind parting with just a little bit of carrot to help them out, so it gets added to the soup. Another villager walks by, inquiring about the pot, and the travelers again mention their stone soup. The villager chips in a small ham bone to help them out. More and more villagers walk by, each adding another ingredient. Finally the villagers all gather about with the travelers to enjoy a delicious pot of hot, nourishing soup.”
Doug told the story with breathtaking perfection; we took turns bringing up our "ingredients" to a large, hollowed pumpkin resting on an open fire. I felt so proud walking up to the pot with Todd and stirring in our lentils; to think that I had contributed a bit of protein!
My initial reaction, when hearing that we would be making "stone soup," was pure disgust. I was a hungry child and this meal did not sound substantial… in fact, I didn't even think it sounded fun.
Stone Soup was much more than a story that night. It affected my view of a community. My idea of what was possible completely changed. I felt powerful. I felt that, with the help of a community, I could accomplish anything.
Today, as american students, we have the option of walking out of class at 2 PM to protest the law passed in wisconsin, banning collective bargaining. I've been going around the school trying to talk to fellow students about why it's important that they walk out of school and participate in something they believe in (if indeed they do believe in it).
If you're reading this and thinking about walking out, PLEASE remember the story of stone soup. People can satiate their hungers (both socially and physically) when they work together.
