He walked along the shore,
looking at the canoes on display, 
wondering which one to set out to sea in.
Many fears were running through his mind...

'What would happen if I picked the wrong one,
and after paddling a few miles from shore
it started to leak?'

'How will I know that the wood will not split
when I am caught in the middle of a storm?'

'How can I guarantee that I can make it to the other side
without sinking?'

And so it went on and on.

As he looked at the canoes before him,
he rejected some immediately.
His eyes detected tiny holes in the woodwork
and his hands felt the imperfections at the seams.

Then he floated several of them by the shore
to check their balance and sea worthiness.
Several sprang leaks and he dismissed them straight away.
Some canoes he tried listed heavily to one side 
and he rejected them also.

Next, he checked their manouverablity 
by climbing inside and paddling in the sea, just by the shore.
A few felt too sluggish in the waters. 
Others were too light and easily tossed by the waves.

And so he went on narrowing down his choices.

He reduced his list down to several candidates,
each with their own merits as well as flaws.
Unfortunately, there were none that could meet
all his precise requirements.

Then, he looked over the canoes again.
It was getting late and very soon,
it would be time for him to leave.
He stilled his anxiety, steeled his resolve 
and then indicated,

'I'll take that one!'

The wood was sound.
He knew the builder personally.
And he had faith in his craftsmanship.



Jonathan Koh
November 7, 1997