In his book Identity: Youth and Crisis, Erik Erikson tells a story he heard from a physician about an old man with a peculiar problem. The old man vomited every morning but had never felt any inclination to consult a doctor. Finally the man’s family convinced him to get a checkup.
The doctor asked, “How are you?”
“I’m fine,” the man responded. “Couldn’t be better.”
The doctor examined him and found he was in good shape for his age.
Finally the physician grew impatient and asked, “I hear that you vomit every morning.”
The old man looked surprised and said, “Sure doesn’t everybody?”
Like that old man, we may not realize that the problems we bear daily are abnormal. We have lived with the problems for so long we can’t imagine how life could be better.
From Contemporary Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers, and Writers - Craig Brian Larson. Baker Books, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2000. Page 33.
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