where we come from? where are we going? de unde venim? unde ne ducem?

I found this story this morning told by one of my colleagues on a Romanian language Internet group. He heard it at a conference at the Bible Land Museum in Jerusalem , so the origin may be in the Jewish rabbinic folklore, but I think that it is true for any people or for any human being. I liked it and asked for his permission to take it to this blog.

Am citit in dimineata acesta aceasta pilda povestita de unul dintre colegii mei pe o lista internetica de limba romana, El insusi o auzise la o conferinta la Muzeul Tarilor Bibliei din Ierusalim, asa incat banuiala mea este ca sursa ar putea fi folclorul rabinic evreiesc, desi cred ca se potriveste oricarui popor si oricarei fiinte omenesti. Mi-a placut si i-am cerut permisiunea de a o prelua pe acest blog.

source sodahead.com

Cica un baietzel din diverse motive pleaca de acasa.
Vrand sa ajunga intr-un loc plin de promisiuni, din cate aflase el.
Si mergand el ,nu dupa putzina vreme ajunge la o mare intersectzie de drumuri.
Spre nenorocul lui, tabla indicatoare a drumurilor era cazuta asa ca
baiatul nu avea habar in ce directzie trebuie sa mearga.
Si cum statea el necajit acolo la intersectzia drumurilor,
se apropie de el un batran, intreband-ul dece e necajit.
Copilul ii spune ca nu stie in ce directie sa o ia deoarece
stalpul cu tablele de indicatii a cazut.
Atuncea batranul il intreaba :
– De unde vi?
– Pai uite vin de pe drumul acesta.
– Si cum se numeste localitatea de unde vi?
– Se numeste…… si ii spune numele.
Atuncea batranul ia stalpul si il aranjeaza in asa fel
ca numele localitatzii de un unde vine copilul sa coincida
cu drumul pe care venise.
Astfel indicatoarele de drum aratau exact fiecare drum unde duce.

source http://freepages.family.rootsweb.ancestry.com

The story says that a young boy for reasons known to him leaves his home,
willing to get to a place full of promises, as he had heard.
He walked and walked and after a while he reach a big crossroad.
To his distress, the crossroads indicators has fallen down so
the boy had no clue which way he had to head.
As he was standing upset at the crossroads,
an old man comes by asking him what is the reason of his distress.
The boy answers that he does not know which way to head because
the crossroads indicator has fallen down.
Then the old man asks:
– Where are you coming from?
– Well, I came this way.
– And what is the name of the place you come from?
– It’s called … and he speaks the name.
Then the old man takes the crossroads indicator and arranges it so that
the name of the place the kid came from
coincides with the road he came on.
Now the indicators were showing exactly where each one of the roads was going.