One evening, two tourists who were at a campsite on the shores of a lake decided to cross the lake by boat to go for a “nightcap” at the bar on the other shore.
They stayed there until late into the night, draining a fair number of bottles.
When they came out of the bar they were swaying somewhat, but they managed to take their places in the boat to embark on the return journey.
They began to row briskly. Sweating and puffing, they struggled hard for two hours. Finally, one said to the other:
“Don’t you think we should have touched the other shore by now, long ago?”
“Of course,” replied the other, “but perhaps we have not paddled strongly enough.”
The two redoubled their efforts and rowed resolutely for another hour. Only when dawn broke did they realise, astonished, that they were still in the same place.
They had forgotten to untie the strong rope that tied their boat to the jetty.
How many people struggle and fret all day long without coming to anything because they do not really free themselves from bonds and poor habits.
