The Parable of Two Travelers

One day while teaching, Josh was asked, ”Teacher, who put the holidays in the worst travel window possible?  Who works that hard just for a cheap laugh at our expense?”

Josh spoke thus:

Two travelers had just left home.  It was time to go home.

“Why did we book such an early flight?” one traveler asked.

“Security is going to be hellacious in a few hours,” the second traveler said, “We don’t want to be caught in security.  I’ll sleep on the plane.”

“Why do we do this to ourselves every year?” the first traveler asked.

“It’s the holidays,” the second traveler said.

“And that justifies clogging the roads?” the first traveler said, “Clogging the bus terminals, clogging the airports, the planes, the trains, the busses?”

“Who’s clogging?” the second traveler asked.

“We are,” the first traveler said, “You, me, all these other people getting up before sunrise to catch flights home.  There’s traffic, and the sun isn’t even up!  Why do we all have to travel for the holidays?”

“Have you ever spent the holidays alone?” the second traveler asked.

“Sure I have,” the first traveler said, “Lots of times, when I first left home.”

“And how did that work out for you?” the second traveler asked.
“I was lonely,” the first traveler said, “I was homesick.  But I was young.  I had just left home.”

“And how did it feel when you could go home?” the second traveler asked.

“I can’t remember being happier,” the first traveler said.

“And now?” the second traveler asked.

“And now I just want to be home,” the first traveler said, “I just want to be home.”

“Home or home?” the second traveler asked.

“Home,” the first traveler said, “This time of year, I just want to be home.”

“So when you’re home, you wish you could be home,” the second traveler said, “And when you’re home, you just want to be home.”

“That’s what home is,” the first traveler said, “Home is where you travel from, and home is where you travel to.  Home is why you travel.”

“Even if you have to leave home to get there,” the second traveler said.

“Even if you have to leave home to get there,” the first traveler said.