The Parable of the Canoe


Screenshot 2015-11-29 16.29.18So this guy has a canoe for sale.

It’s a good thing too, because the river is flooding.
The water is rising fast and you’re going to need to navigate it.
You need a good boat.

You go to check out the canoe, and it’s clear that it’s something special.

They spent years refining their design – for speed, weight, stability, practicality, aesthetics. Searched far and wide for the strongest, lightest, wood, to painstakingly mill and shape and sand. Researched the finest adhesives and resins that modern technology has to offer, to bind it together and seal it.

This is a boat that could last a lifetime, with proper care.
It’s versatile, powerful, and durable.
It’s not perfect, but it’s beautiful.

Just as you are getting ready to shake hands and seal the deal, the guy says:
“And if that’s not enough, buddy, get this – the canoe can fly.”

Debates about permaculture tend to consist of lot’s of back-and-forth between people focused on the quality and timeliness of the canoe, and people severely annoyed that some folks are still saying that fucker can fly.