The Woman & The Couch: A Fable for Modern Times

Once upon a time, there was a woman who wanted a couch. She wanted a couch more than anything else she’d ever seen. To her very soul, she felt – no, she knew – this couch would make her feel comfortable, cozy, warm and, in her old age especially, be a place of support and rest. So, when she was old enough and a had a place of her own on the 5th floor of an apartment building, she bought the piece of furniture she’d desired since she was a little girl. Shortly thereafter, the couch arrived.

The woman was thrilled; it was just what she wanted! Just out of the truck and on the front lawn of the apartment building, she hopped on her newly delivered bundle of joy. It was perfect in every way! It wasn’t long after, however, that she looked at the bill – taped to its back – and saw how expensive it was. It was much more than she’d thought it would be. “No matter”, she thought to herself, “It’ll all work out for the best. Someone will help me pay for it.”

As the sun began to set, bringing a close to such a lovely day, she wanted to get inside, so she started to push the couch through the front door. It was then she realized how heavy it was. Not only was it heavy, but the door was so small and the stairs so steep, winding and numerous, it dawned on her how tremendously difficult a task this would be.

Not being easily daunted, she began asking various men who lived in her building to help her carry it. She soon found none would help. Some were too selfish, certainly. But most were too tired from their own troubles or job, too tired moving their own furniture, had promised to help move a dining room set he’d purchased with another woman in the building or simply didn’t want to put in so much hard work for a couch that wasn’t his and wouldn’t be able to enjoy.

Therefore, ever determined to enjoy her couch, she struggled, pushed and fought to get it through the door and up the stairs. She’d make it only so far – damaging the walls and the couch both, in all her attempts. Passing men would disregard her, having enough burdens of their own, while other women would tell her how brave and strong she was – yet would close their doors and mock her to their friends and families inside.

Eventually, she and the couch were forced to stay outside together. She endured the harsh elements bravely, if often miserably, while aging more rapidly and more deleteriously because of them. As for the couch…

Regardless of how much she loved it, the couch was torn, beaten and irreparably damaged by an environment to which it should never have been exposed.

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