The View From the Elevator

6 The View From the Elevator There was an important young man who worked in a big building in an important part of the city. Every day, he would ride in the elevator with the poor old man who operated the elevator. The young man never talked to the old man except to tell him on which floor he wanted to get off. This went on for years. One day, as the important man was taking the elevator up to the top floor, the elevator suddenly stopped. The two men sat for hours waiting for the elevator to be repaired. Finally, the poor old man spoke to the rich young man, “ For years, I have been listening to you as you ride my elevator. All you ever talk about is money and how to make more money. You remind me of a bee that never stops gathering honey. " The rich man looked at him strangely, but the old man continued to speak.

" If you take a bee and put it in a tall drinking glass without a lid on it, the bee will not fly out. Why is that? The bee never takes the time to look up. In fact, it will die in that drinking glass when all it has to do is fly out the top to freedom. My advice to you is this-don't just be a bee. Look up and see the sky once in a while. " After this, the two men sat talking for hours in the elevator. The rich man listened to the wisdom of the old poor man. Just before the end of the work day, the elevator started working again. The old man asked the other if he still wanted to go to the top floor. “ No, " he said. " I want to buy you dinner. " “ Why?" asked the old man. As the elevator door opened, the rich man put his arm around the old man and said, " Because you just showed me a whole new view of the world from the inside of an elevator! " His days of just being a worker bee were over.