Pons Asinorum.

They say a rolling stone gathers no moss.  This may be true.  In fact, it is definitely true.  Lets think about the qualities of moss and the conditions in which it thrives for a moment.  For moss to grow, it must have a surface on which it can take root.  There must be adequate water and nutrients.  For this water and these nutrients to collect, the surface on which the moss would like to grow must be stagnant.  The surface on which the moss takes hold must be slightly porous.  It must be porous, but not so porous that other larger plants could take a hold and compete with the moss.  There must be sunlight to fuel the growth, but not so much sunlight that it dries things out.  So in fact, there must be mostly shade.  This is not a tumultuous environment.  This is a settled, complete, stable, orderly, peaceful environment.  But, you might not ever get anything done being this sedentary.

And what about the alternative?  The extreme alternative is that if you were this rock, you would constantly be in motion.  Imagine a medium sized rock just larger than a man's fist careening down a mountainside.  This rock (were it an animate object) does not have time to look around.  It does not see where its going or what cliff its about to bounce off of next.  This rock is in constant motion.  It follows a frenzied, harried, unimpeded trajectory down the mountainside, always downward because it is being propelled by gravity.  This rock in this interplay with gravity does not have a choice unless by some divine intervention it comes to rest.  As it bounces and reels through the air, this rock does not gather moss.  It may even crack and abrade its otherwise smooth surface.  But, it has a direction.  Propelled by forces beyond its control it has begun on this path.  Then, BAM!

A test.

Wait.  Rocks don't get tested, they just do as they're told.

But, people, ah yes.  People are tested in this life.  It is a self-test.  The test begins with forces acting upon us outside of our control and they often open those neatly packaged gifts, sitting high on the shelf that were meant to be better opened when the time was right.  "When the time was right".  The time is never right, now is it?

Pons Asinorum, in Latin, translates to "bridge of asses" or "bridge of fools".  It was initially coined by Euclid to explain the theorum of the isosceles triangle.  Well, geometry is boring.  Straight lines are boring.  What is more interesting to ponder about the pons asinorum is that it can be thought of as a test, a metaphor if you will.  The "bridge of fools" describes a test that can seperate the weak minded from the strong, a test of will, intelligence, and ability.  It is an initial challenge which foretell of the harder propositions which follow.  The pons asinorum is a test which severely challenges the ability of the inexperienced person.

Isn't this life?  Aren't we constantly being tested especially when there is a lack of experience?  Is this not the best way to learn how to unwrap and accept the gift that was neatly packaged and stacked away?

Hmmm.... we'll find out if I learned anything when I have a shiny, new ACL constructed from some pieces of hamstring tendon.

OM NAMAH SHIVAYA