Jean advances on his way at his own pace.
One step at a time, like everyone else!
Of course, from time to time, he wishes he could walk faster.
And from time to time, he walks more slowly, as if slowed down, because on the ground, the path is more difficult and “everything” seems heavier.
So far, John has managed to find the courage to “power through”, he redoubled his efforts for a while to advance despite a narrow, rocky or sandy path.
Of course, once he got over the bad ground, Jean was proud of himself but also exhausted, and it took him weeks or even months to recover.
For the past few years, Jean had not been able to push his way through.
No more courage? No more strength? He didn’t know.
It must be said that the terrain had become more and more difficult.
Jean had noticed, however, that it was the same type of path that came up frequently.
Lately, his path often took him through a forest with narrow passages.
And each time, he thought to himself:
— It’s weird, I thought I had gotten better at this type of terrain, why can’t I get better at it?
When one day, that dense forest comes back again, he stops to think.
— What’s stopping me from really moving forward properly?
John taps his chin and looks around.
He turns around and discovers behind him, to his great surprise, a huge, shapeless balloon floating just above the ground in all lightness.
Astonished, he moves forward a little and realizes that it follows him, as if it were attached by an invisible thread.
He moves forward a little more in the narrow forest and realizes that it is always getting stuck and that it is the one slowing him down!
He tries to pull it, to unjam it and finally push it!
Jean is happy, he understood but the progression remains slow and painful until the exit of the forest.
He breathes a sigh of relief.
Now that the path is clear, it will be easier!
The path has indeed become quite flat but more rocky and with roots coming out of the ground here and there.
John takes again the road, confident, but there too, he struggles to advance.
He raises his eyes to the sky thinking of the balloon which must be acting up.
He looks behind him and the balloon floats above the ground, light, fluid, following the rhythm quietly.
Jean frowns.
It’s not it slowing him down this time.
He continues to advance while observing around him and discovers a little behind the balloon, a kind of immense wooden sled with branches which exceed everywhere.
As he moves forward, the sled gets stuck in the roots of the path.
Jean raises his eyes to the sky, annoyed.
He tries to carry the sled as best he can and manages to move forward until the path becomes sandy.
The sled slides on the sand, much to John’s relief.
But only a few moments later, John explodes with anger and fatigue.
He realizes that he is not moving any faster!
On the contrary, the more he advances, the more difficult it is.
Something still prevents him from moving forward!
— First the balloon, then the sled, now what?! he gets angry.
He discovers a kind of roller behind him.
And as he moves, the roller fills with sand and sinks more and more.
Soon, John can’t move forward at all.
Dejected, he sits down on a stone on the edge of the path and takes his head in his hands, elbows on his knees.
— Why on earth are all these things following me?
His thoughts wander in all directions, looking for answers.
Hours pass.
John despairs, various answers come to him but nothing that really helps him.
In a peak of despair, he exclaims:
— All this is very nice, but how can I free myself from this roll?
At that moment, John sees a rope wrapped around his waist and extending to the roller.
John gets up with a jump, gets rid of the rope around him as best he can.
This one falls at his feet.
John remains immobile one moment to fix the cord on the ground.
He tries a first step, not very convinced.
Then a second.
Then a third.
The roller does not follow him any more and moves away little by little.
John can move forward again.
He waves his arms as if he were swimming in the air and walks dancing, light as air!
At that moment, he discovers that the path becomes narrower and narrower and goes into a forest.
He looks behind him at the balloon and smiles.
