Hit The Bullseye

Goals

     “If you don’t know where you’re going,

     any road will get you there.”

The Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland

(Carroll)

“A ship without a harbor has no ill wind.”(67)

The Philosopher, Seneca

***

Bullseye

     I’ve heard the following story, shared at a long ago conference, that speaks volumes on the subject of goals. Here it goes: A friend of mine was recently touring the back roads of New England. He is a rifle instructor with an ROTC marksmanship group. The sight of several targets covering the side of a large barn surprised him. Each target had a bright red bulls-eye as he rounded a curve in the road. And, smack dab in the center of each bulls eye was a bullet hole.

     His curiosity aroused, he pulled in the driveway and made his way to the farmhouse, intent upon receiving advice from the accomplished marksman responsible for all of the bull’s eyes. Certainly this information would help his students.

     An elderly man greeted his knock on the door. Brief introductions revealed that the old man was the sharpshooter. The man accepted my friend’s invitation for a demonstration.

     Moments later the farmer emerged from the house, grasping a rusty bucket in one hand, and an unimpressive, outdated rifle in the other. The man faced the barn, checked the wind, raised the gun, and blasted a shot. Then the elderly man sauntered over to the barn with his bucket and calmly painted a target around the bullet hole he had left in the side of the barn.

     “Works every time!” exclaimed the farmer.