The Bull and the China Shop

There's the China Shop

There's the Bull

The China Shop tells the Bull to enter the shop slowly, carefully because everything inside is fragile and needs to be handled with care. The items inside are priceless and can't be replaced or restored.

The Bull says "ok". The Bull says they love the China Shop and never wants to destroy anything inside.

One day, the Bull is excited to share the day and runs into the China Shop to share the big news of the day. The Bull enters and runs down the first aisle, not paying attention to the items on the shelf, their only focus was to get to the front and share their story.

The sound of chaos from the shattering of treasures stored safely for decades is deafening. The aisle is long and the devastation goes on for what feels like eons. Then there's silence.

Everyone stands in silence as the Bull stands shameful and apologetic that they didn't mean to shatter the treasures, but they were excited to share.

The China Shop says it's okay and begins the process of picking up the pieces and gluing them back together. All while consoling the Bull who stands to the side and watches, full of shame and remorse, vowing to remember to be more careful with the China Shop's treasures. After cleaning the shop, the China Shop sat and listened to the Bull tell their story. all while holding in the grief. of their broken treasures.

The China Shop is able to put the treasures together in a way that barely shows any cracks. So well, that upon their dusting of the shop each night, they're able to forget the trauma of the breakage and able to move forward with peace and forgiveness towards the Bull. Actually forgetting the accident completely.

Months later, the Bull visits the China Shop, once again having a great story to share that only the China Shop would appreciate. The Bull charges into the Shop and runs down the same aisle, at the same speed to reach the front and knocks down the same treasures they hit the first time.

The Bull is devastated and apologetic, the China Shop is frustrated, confused why the Bull didn't stop to think before entering the shop. The Bull is no longer shameful, but angry that the China Shop doesn't realize the Bull didn't mean to enter in such a rush and should appreciate the feeling of trying not to do harm.

The China Shop accepts the apology, and demands the Bull enter from another path and walk down another aisle to avoid any further damage. This was a way to resolve and avoid upsetting the Bull and creating more of a mess in the future. In the meantime, the China Shop puts the shattered treasures together, while the Bull watches, but this time the cracks are more visible. After cleaning the shop, the China Shop sat and listened to the Bull tell their story. all while holding in the grief. of their broken treasures.

After, the China Shop dusts on future nights, they can't help but see the cracks and feel the flickers of memory and trauma from the experience, with growing resentment towards the Bull.

Time goes on and things seem to heal between the Bull and the China Shop. The Bull regains confidence to revisit the China Shop and is excited to share a new adventure they're about to take.

The Bull rushes into the China Shop with the excitement and eagerness of a new pupply experiencing sunshine for the first time. The Bull rushes in and heads down the exact aisle they were forbidden from taking, in order to preserve the fragile treasures.

The Bull wasn't focused on the request, but instead on their need to share their story and celebrate. As a result, the Bull ran down the aisle and once again knocked down every item on every shelf in that aisle.

Salvaging the items was no longer than option. The items have been shattered and glued so much they're now dust. Glue would no longer help what was left. What was once were distinguishable pieces to glue together, became dusty elements that crumbled upon touch.

The China Shop was furious. How could the Bull not have taken a moment to respect the shop.

The Bull was defensive. How could the China Shop not understand the story they wanted to share. Their intentions were good.

The China Shop couldn't focus on intentions when their entire shop had shattered so many times it was now dust.

The Bull couldn't care about the impact on the China Shop because their feelings were shattered. Why wasn't intent enough?

Intentions mean nothing when the results always end with devastation.