How Much Is Enough?

Two chipmunks, Charlie and Bobby were part of a thriving chipmunk community in the deeply forested mountains. Charlie was like many a chipmunk in that he worked hard to collect and store all the acorns he could eat.

Bobby did the same thing but then he noticed that Charlie and many of the other chipmunks had gotten into a competition, driven to collect acorns far beyond their needs.

Having the most acorns had become a matter of great importance and stature in the community and many of the chipmunks had become workaholics to achieve that stature.

Much of the fun among the chipmunks was now gone, and worse yet, some of the chipmunks would lie and steal acorns from the others to attain this stature.

Bobby refused to play this competive game and as he frolicked joyfully among the trees, he called out to Charlie, "Come join me Charlie, for this is what life is about. We collect and eat acorns so we can do this," as he jumped merrily from one tree branch to the other.

"No," Charlie replied. "I want to be rich like Chatsworth, who everyone admires because he has the most acorns." But one day Chatsworth, who was a glutton for acorns and substantially overweight, dropped dead.

As Charlie joined the other chipmunks to gaze at the enormous pile of acorns Chatsworth had left behind, he realized that Chatsworth had had no time to ever frolick, for he was too busy acquiring and carefully guarding his acorns to do that.

It was then Charlie made a life changing decision. "Life is about the dance," he said to himself. "It is not about the accumulation of acorns far beyond our needs." At that moment Charlie looked up in the trees and saw Bobby frolicking.

"Wait up my friend," Charlie called out to Bobby. "I'm coming to join you."

Dick