A Sponge or a Net. A tale of intentions

In a kingdom, far far away, during one of the king’s banquet, a sponge and a net found themselves in a fierce rhetoric contest. Arguing on apparently different grounds but with similar weapons. Hoping to be consecrated by the king, playing an informal referee role, arbitrating on matters arising from the heated debate.

Standing from his chair in an extravagant arm gesture, Sponge begins his declamation.

“I am a Sponge.

Here for you, to absorb all that is passing by, from water to hardened dirt, I endeavor to take it, absorb as much as possible, and keep it close. Offering a benevolent shelter to all, regardless of their nature and intentions. I will keep the good soap as carefully as the dirty water.

What a friend I can be, for all that are looking for attention, care and kind arms.

How useful am I when you just need something to absorb the excess, the unwanted and the unusual.”

His voice lowers, the spark in his eyes seems to dim, he continues, gazing into space.

“But as every friend, I have my limits. There is just so much I can absorb. A set quantity of liquid I will be able to keep in before I start rejecting it, unable to keep it inside any longer.

At least, I got to understand that not long ago, when, still avid to absorb, I faced my own limitations. I could not take it anymore. I had taken too much and was full of dirt, acid, and bacteria that I had let in carelessly.

Even though I wanted to try and absorb some more, it struck me: There is a limit to my apparently limitless capacity to absorb everything. Even worse, in my absence of barriers, I took everything in, regardless of its capacity to hurt me or do me good. I was not selective (I thought it was a bad word) rather my arms were open for all.

Generous they observed. Kind-hearted they appreciated. And for that I settled, happy to be of help, happy to provide relief in a world full of hate and fear…

I have indeed limits. Either I put them in front and increase my capacity to absorb what is worthy of finding its way in my inner self. Or I will face them later, when I understand that I went too far (or is it them?), and I cannot take anymore.”

He pauses for a few seconds. The King takes the floor, concurring with the precedent orator.

“When it reaches its limits, the only solution for a sponge is to drain itself from everything, in the sink of life, the good, the bad, the ugly. Because, if it doesn’t drain itself then something or someone will have to do it, pushing, choking, pressing… but for a good cause this time. Because only when a sponge is pressed, just like an orange, does it let what is inside out.

But unlike an orange, a sponge is usually filled from outside, by external liquids, that he was never meant to keep in. Unlike an orange, the liquids within have not taken time to be matured and sweet. Unlike an orange, the sponge is used for its capacity to transport liquid, take in and let out.

A sponge is used. An orange is appreciated.

It is the source of the liquid that is pressed, matured in silence, and appreciated, enriched with pulp and Vitamin C, anticipated by people from outside. If you must be pressed, make sure it is because people appreciate what comes out from within, instead of trying to get rid of it. If you are called in “pressuring” situations, let it be because you know how to manage it and make it better, not because it is a way to get rid of your ego or unpleasant character.”

Gently mocking the sponge is the net, taking the floor after the King.

As the Net, I have been there. I understood, sometimes after unlucky experiences, that not everything is to be kept. Especially the liquids. Usually of high quantity, full of particles that you cannot unravel or account for. They weigh you down and fill you, you cannot take anything more, you are full, and yet you are not sure of what. How many fishes have you taken? No idea. You would not know unless you calibrate the net holes and ensure that they are big enough to let the water out, and small enough not to let the fishes out.

It is all about Calibrating.

If the holes are too big then you are going for big fishes, big catches only, you are not interested in small fishes that would eat up your time, removing fishbones for insignificant fish meat.

I have understood that it is all about the caliber. Of what you are looking for and your own. Because you see, the two should match. If you are working towards big catches, you will need to have net holes that do not lean and lose time on the details. The smaller they are, the more content they will tenderly keep, big fishes of course, but along small crabs, rocks, and what not. As a net I am used intentionally, for a specific and strategic task. Fishing, Football, Basketball, Mosquitoes protection. You have to understand my role and expected objective, then design me and caliber me based on that objective. Once you have done that, I am ready to roll…”

The King, secretly admiring the confidence and groundedness of the net, intervenes.

“Despite its unusual shape, seemingly too weak to resist, the interlacing strands that form the net and leave holes of void, remind us of the fragile equilibrium of life. That is why many mythical representations of birth and of creation used the symbol of a net. In ancient Hinduism, “kāla ("time, destiny") is represented as a cosmic weaver who composes the fabric of life for each individual and for the entire universe by intertwining the white threads of light, life, and well-being with the black threads of darkness, death, and sorrow”[1]. The strength of a net lies in the resilience of thread used, the tight and delicate weaving, and the spacing between the threads. Just like a net, balance and resilience, both of individual elements and all of them taken together, is the key to a successful life, only if and when the intention and directions are made clear by the fisherman. The net, our life, responds to our intentions, and must be taken care of.”

The fierce debate pursued until late in the night, after many guests had left the banquet, each reminiscing the wise words of the sponge, the net and the king, sometimes finding one affirmation or the other in echo of their own personal lives…

“The bow is life: the source of all energy. The arrow will leave one day. The target is a long way off. But the bow will stay with you, and you must know how to look after it. It requires periods of inaction - a bow that is always armed and braced loses its strength. Therefore, allow it to rest, to recover its firmness; then, when you draw the bow-string, the bow will be content, with all its strength intact.” Paulo Coelho[2]

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[1] "Webs and Nets ." Encyclopedia of Religion. Retrieved August 06, 2021 from Encyclopedia.com. https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/webs-and-nets

[2] The Way of the Bow, Paulo Coelho, Flammarion, 2003.