Week 2 Story: The Man Who Live on the Moon
There is a man who has just entered a private college. His family is poor, therefore, he always worries about his tuition.
In a serene afternoon, he sits on the bench in the campus garden. The sunshine is warm, and the flowers are eloquent. He enjoyed the scene but felt anxious about his future. He pondered whether he could have a successful future, although he could never imagine what kind of job he really likes.
Surrounding by the comfortable environment, he drifted off to sleep. In his dream, he met a wise man, and he expressed that he was stocked in reality and could not find a way out.
He said, "I want to be an internet celebrity. I envy their carefree, abundant, wealthy life." The wise man agreed to him and said, "be a successful Internet celebrity."
After being a successful internet celebrity, he thought about how to make more compelling videos all day and all night. He found the subscriptions and views are so important to him cause that means money to him. Gradually, he wants more money, and he thought that businessmen could earn more wealth than internet celebrity.
He went to find the wise man and said, "I'm sure that I want to be a businessman." The wise man slightly smiles as usual and said, "be a businessman."
Now, the man became a businessman who owns countless dollars. Nevertheless, he realized that he does not have much time to spend his money or even to have a rest. He was overwhelmed by the feeling of owning wealth. He did not want to stop making money. One night, he was so tired and sit on a bench in his company. He had a vague memory about he was a student, and he liked the breeze and flowers on campus. Finally, he realized that he sick of exhaustingly working all day and night. He looked up the moon and stars in the sky and made a decision.
He found the wise man again and said, "I was wrong. I want to run away from the secular world. I want to live on the moon." The wise man said with a sign: "I can help you."
Looking at the stars and the Milky Way in the distance, although he felt peaceful and serene, solitude and emptiness fulfill his soul. The wise man stands beside him and said: "There is not a perfect situation for anyone, the point is cherish the present. Now, it is time to wake up."
The man woke up from the dream. Looking around the beauty surrounding him, there is a gleam of steadfast in his eyes.
HI, Taiwei! I enjoyed your retelling of this story. I liked how you re-framed it for modern times and tried to use it to send a message that you find important. I thought it was very interesting how you changed the ending of the story to the man waking up from a dream, reinvigorated with life and purpose. I would have liked to see one more example of a job like in the original story. Three jobs instead of two would feel more like a steady escalation and make the ending more powerful. However, I still think you did a great job!
ReplyDeleteHey Terry! I thought your retelling of the story was really cool and definitely did meet the modern standard. Nowadays so many kids seek internet fame because of social media that they often miss out on big things without even realizing it. Being able to take a step back and look at the big picture is definitely a gift. Great job!
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