The Porter and the Turnstile

 The porter and the immigrant walked that desert alone. Just the two of them, the porter packing all the bags and leading the way. 

As they approached the border, the porter looked ahead and saw a sign hanging on the fence. His face turned sad. He stopped talking. He would not be able to accompany his friend any farther. The turnstile would lock him out while allowing the immigrant in.

Said  the sign: Welcome to America. This is the land of freedom, the land of opportunity. But, with freedom comes responsibility, and with opportunity comes the need to grab hold of it for yourself. Achievement comes with doing things on your own. No one can achieve something for you.

A friend can accompany you to the borders of  opportunity, to the verge of  success. But to actually pass through that portal, that gate, that threshold, you must step ahead on your own. Success is not something someone else can achieve for you. Like a person stepping from a land they know into a foreign land they don't, you must learn to take steps ahead on your own.

There will come a day when you pay homage to your parents and friends, just as an immigrant might honor his homeland. But, you will be grateful for where you have arrived. There will be a new patriotism, your new country being sweet and wonderful.

We might feel we have friends in life -- those who walk each step with us, carrying our luggage, carrying our woes -- but, we only become truly happy when we learn to carry our own.