The Trap Within
Are you caught in a mousetrap, a question that may be answered by this short story. May the wisdom in the message encourage you and inspire you.Short Stories
The Trap Within
Author: Catherine Pulsifer
You probably are all very familiar with a mousetrap, what it is used for, and how to use it. At the same time, there are several different kinds of mousetraps available on the market, but one mousetrap is currently being used very extensively especially in most large cities. This mousetrap also can be used in small towns as well.
Now, this particular mousetrap has been used over and over again and is tremendously efficient in its tasks so much so that it traps much more than ever escapes. This is a story of such a mousetrap that continues to trap over and over again as if it was on autopilot with no need for any commands or directions.
Such was the case of Bobbie. He used to think that he was pretty smart; he'd taken all the special degrees and courses he could take and once finished, thought he had it made. Little did he know, that he was in for a big surprise.
Bobbie continued to advance in his chosen area so much so that many others became quite jealous of his success. But, to Bobbie, he felt as if life was passing him by. Some of his best friends, who had not finished all the advanced courses he had, began to excel so much so that they far outstripped Bobbie. Bobbie knew all about their success, and started to feel that he had made a huge mistake.
But, Bobbie had taken some of his rich spoils and built a nest for him and his partner and spent more of their gains on other items that were thought to represent the pinnacle of success. So, one day, Bobbie decided that he wanted to have more, to be more, but, on his way to declare his intentions to the world, he got trapped.
At first he didn't realize that the trap had sprung and the reason he didn't realize it was that he had unintentionally walked right into it seemingly totally oblivious. What he once thought was full of future good, turned out to be laden with even more traps than he could ever imagine.
Now, just in case you think that Bobbie is a mouse, let me be clear - he is not. In fact, Bobbie (not his real name) is a real person who ventured forth into the world armed with several degrees, and a very narrow view of what success would look like. To Bobbie, success meant obtaining the big house, the fancy car, and all the material trappings that spelled success in his world. In fact, success was more about how much money you had than any other part of the personal, human equation.
The reason he now felt trapped in the trap that many, many people fall into, was that he couldn't find it within himself to leave all those materialistic possessions behind to begin again in a new profession or business that would bring him even more money. But, the sad truth is that, to this day, he still is trapped.
The mousetrap is very efficient. It still reigns throughout many regions, cities and towns. It is a trap so enticing that very few recognize the danger signs until it is far too late.
For those who find themselves more concerned with how much money they can accumulate for the sake of money alone, who find themselves stuck like glue to materialistic possessions that mean more than their personal integrity or their contribution to their fellow human beings, these traps have jaws of steel. The question is simple: are you on your way to your own mousetrap right now or will you be able to avoid it forever more?