The pickle jar

  In this chapter I will analyze an essay using Course thinking and show how it can be applied in the world of time. 

The pickle jar as far back as I can remember sat on the floor beside the dresser in my parents’ bedroom. When he got ready for bed, Dad would empty his pockets and toss his coins into the jar.

The whole theme of this essay is these were poor people who saved for their son’s college education by putting just a little bit of change aside at a time. In a world where Course thinking prevailed education would be available to all who would receive it at no cost. Indeed, such a world would not cost anyone anything. As Course says we only have to be willing to receive.

As a small boy I was always fascinated at the sounds the coins made as they were dropped into the jar. They landed with a merry jingle when the jar was almost empty. Then the tones gradually muted to a dull thud as the jar was filled. I used to squat on the floor in front of the jar and admire the copper and silver circles that glinted like a pirate’s treasure when the sun poured through the bedroom window. When the jar was filled, Dad would sit at the kitchen table and roll the coins before taking them to the bank. Taking the coins to the bank was always a big production. Stacked neatly in a small cardboard box, the coins were placed between Dad and me on the seat of his old truck. Each and every time, as we drove to the bank, Dad would look at me hopefully. “Those coins are going to keep you out of the textile mill, son. You’re going to do better than me. This old mill town’s not going to hold you back.”

In a world where Course thinking prevailed work in a textile mill would not be thought of as undesirable. Indeed, everyone would realize we are all children of God, and we are doing God’s Will.

Also, each and every time, as he slid the box of rolled coins across the counter at the bank toward the cashier, he would grin proudly. “These are for my son’s college fund. He’ll never work at the mill all his life like me.”

Here he does it again. He views his work at the mill as undesirable.

We would always celebrate each deposit by stopping for an ice cream cone. I always got chocolate. Dad always got vanilla. When the clerk at the ice cream parlor handed Dad his change, he would show me the few coins nestled in his palm. “When we get home, we’ll start filling the jar again.” He always let me drop the first coins into the empty jar. As they rattled around with a brief, happy jingle, we grinned at each other. “You’ll get to college on pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters,” he said. “But you’ll get there. I’ll see to that.”

The years passed, and I finished college and took a job in another town. Once, while visiting my parents, I used the phone in their bedroom, and noticed that the pickle jar was gone. It had served its purpose and had been removed. 

A lump rose in my throat as I stared at the spot beside the dresser where the jar had always stood. My Dad was a man of few words, and never lectured me on the values of determination, perseverance, and faith.

This part is right on. Sometimes the less said the better. Here is a perfect example of the virtue of saving and spending less than you make taught by example rather than lecture.

The pickle had taught me all these virtues far more eloquently than the most flowery of words could have done. When I married, I told my wife Susan about the significant part the lowly pickle jar had played in my life as a boy. In my mind, it defined, more than anything else, how much my Dad had loved me. 

No matter how rough things got at home, Dad continued to doggedly drop his coins into the jar. Even the summer when Dad got laid off from the mill, and Mama had to serve dried beans several times a week, not a single dime was taken from the jar.

When I read this part I can only assume this was during the great depression. In a Course in Miracles world we would not have depressions and other financial catastrophes because there would be an immediate and total sharing of the worlds bounty.

To the contrary, as Dad looked across the table at me, pouring catsup over my beans to make them more palatable, he become more determined than ever to make a way out for me. “When you finish college, Son,” he told me, his eyes glistening, “You’ll never have to eat beans again, unless you want to.”

Actually beans aren’t bad for you and a lot of people are vegetarians. Well, maybe not a lot of people, but there are some.

The first Christmas after our daughter Jessica was born; we spent the holiday with my parents. After dinner, Mom and Dad sat next to each other on the sofa, taking turns cuddling their first grandchild. Jessica began to whimper softly, and Susan took her from Dad’s arms.

“She probably needs to be changed,” she said, carrying the baby into my parents’ bedroom to diaper her. When Susan came back into the living room, there was a strange mist in her eyes.

She handed Jessica back to Dad before taking my hand and leading me into the room. “Look,” she said softly, her eyes directing me to a spot on the floor beside the dresser. To my amazement, there, as if it had never been removed, stood the old pickle jar, the bottom already covered with coins. I walked over to the pickle jar, dug down into my pocket, and pulled out a fistful of coins. With a gamut of emotions choking me, I dropped the coins into the jar. I looked up and saw that Dad, carrying Jessica, had slipped quietly into the room. Our eyes locked, and I knew he was feeling the same emotions I felt. Neither one of us could speak. 

This truly touched my heart. I know it has yours as well. Sometimes we are so busy adding up our troubles that we forget to count our blessings.

This is true. But as a Course in Miracles person we go far beyond counting our blessings. Indeed, no matter how bad things seem to be in our physical world we realize that as Children of God we have everything, all the time, for all eternity. And the best part of being a Course person is you can still have nice things and all of the traditional material wealth, you’re just not attached to it. It doesn’t define who you are.

Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one small gesture you can change a person’s life, for better or for worse.

God puts us all in each other’s lives to impact one another in some way. Look for God in others.

This is true because minds are joined.

The best and most beautiful things cannot be seen or touched; they must be felt with the heart. Helen Keller

Happy moments; praise God.

Difficult moments; seek God.

Quiet moments; worship God.

Painful moments; trust God.

Every moment; thank God.

As Course people we do all of these things because we realize we are not separate from our Creator. God’s Will and ours are the same.

Pass this message to seven people except you and me. You will receive a miracle tomorrow. (Just do it)

This came off the Internet so that’s typically what you would expect, a message to be passed on, not that that’s a bad thing. That’s just how the Internet works. As Course students we do not wait to receive miracles, we live miracles. The one and only miracle we need is the knowledge that we are not separate from our Creator.

In conclusion since this essay was about the value of education I want to address that issue.

A number of years ago I read both of the major works of Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. I read them both on Trans World Airlines time by the way. But that was their choice, not mine. I wasn’t sneaky about it or anything. I was available for work if they wanted to assign it. But that was good, because I would have never had enough free time to read them on my own.

Ayn Rand hits on one major theme over and over. That theme is we survive through the use of our mind. In addition our standard if living and quality of life depend on how well we use our mind.

I’ll give you an example of what I mean by survival mechanism. The Polar Bear survives in its artic environment because it has a thick white fur coat and accumulates a large amount of fat to keep warm. It’s kind of rough on seals, but other than that they are relatively harmless. And the polar bear cubs are just about the cutest little things imaginable. Put us in the same environment with no clothing and we would freeze to death in about five minutes. But we can survive in the artic through the use of our minds by building and heating shelters and covering ourselves with warm clothing we make.

In the world in general we survive and advance the cause and quality of life through education. There is no other way. Our survival mechanism is the learning of science, technology, and engineering.

Therefore it is in our best interest to see that everyone receives as much education as they are capable of utilizing. To segregate part of our society into less desirable areas and make it difficult for them to receive an education is not in our best interests.

In a Course world everyone would receive as much education as they are capable of absorbing and we would all be better off.

At the present time our educational system is a complete total failure. That subject is beyond the scope of this website to address, but needless to say it must be dealt with. As we advance into a new age where Course is our guiding light education will be freely and readily available to all.

RR-ESM