A young man was walking along a deserted beach, preoccupied by the chattering monkeys that lived in his mind. See, this young man was faced with a very difficult decision. He was in love with two different girls, and he was tortured by the thought of choosing between them. He knew he had to, but he was stuck.
One girl was the love of his life, but she wore a scarlet letter. She was exiled from their village and banished from ever stepping foot there again.
The other girl was perfect. She came from a powerful family and was beloved by everyone in the village. All the men in the village yearned to be with her.
The young man loved the banished girl, but he knew his life would be so much easier with the perfect girl. He tossed and turned, day and night, unable to make a decision. He was unable to eat, sleep or do anything, really. He was starting to go mad.
While walking along the beach and talking to himself, he stumbled upon an old man. It was as if he appeared out of thin air.
“Who are you talking to, my boy?” asked the old man.
The young man stopped dead in his tracks, startled.
“Wh…wh…who are you? Where did you come from?” he replied.
“I am The Chooser, and I’ve been standing on this beach all day. You haven’t noticed me?”
“The Chooser? What kind of name is that?” the young man said to himself under his breath. “No, I didn’t see you there. Look old man, I’ve got a lot on my mind, and I don’t have time right now. Have a good day.”
The young man began to walk away.
“Just hold it right there, young man. Do you think it’s time that will help you? I may be able to fix your problem.”
“My problem?” questioned the young man. “Who’s to say I have a problem?”
“You say. It’s written all over your face,” replied the old man with a smile. “I’m something of an expert with these kinds of things.”
The young man glared at the old man, angry that he was being taken away from his thoughts and embarrassed for being called out.
“Look old man, I don’t have time for this. Goodbye!”
Before the young man could take three steps, the old man screamed, “Choose! You’ve got to choose!”
This startled the young man. “I…I don’t know you…do you know me? Who are you?!”
The two men stood in silence for what seemed like an eternity. The old man took a long, deep breath and began to speak.
“I am The Chooser. I exist as a guide for those poor, lost souls who are stuck between two choices. Without me, they’d be stuck there for eternity.”
The young man couldn’t believe what he was hearing. How did this man know him? Before he could think another thought, he found himself speaking.
“Is that so? Okay then, you crazy old man. Tell me what to do!?”
“I cannot tell you what to do. All I can tell you is you must choose,” replied the old man.
“Well, thanks for that mountain of wisdom!” retorted the young man, facetiously. “This has been a waste of time.”
“I’m not finished,” answered the old man. “You must choose, young man. You do not yet understand that the path you decide matters less than the choice itself. Choose which way you will go with every part of you. You already know which path you must take, but you are scared by what that path may mean. Choose that path, and live with it. Choose that path, and understand that from there no other paths exist or could have ever existed. The only thing that matters is that you choose, and you don’t look back. Everything will fall into place from there.”
“But what if I regret my choice?” asked the young man, trembling.
“Don’t worry about regret,” replied the old man. “Regret only comes from not choosing. If you choose your path with every part of you, regret is impossible. Remember, it does not matter which path you choose.”
“I don’t understand,” muttered the young man. “You’re not making any sense!”
“You do not understand me now, but when you make your choice, remember the words I’ve told you today.”
The old man turned and walked away. The young man ran back towards the village, bewildered.
40 years later, the young man was now an old man. He was an old man who had made a choice, and lived in the outskirts of the village with the love of his life. His life was hard, but he had long forgotten what regret felt like. Sometimes, he would take long walks on the beach and help lost souls find their path. They called him, “The Chooser.”