Life Lessons From A Salt Shaker

My grandfather was a painter and had a metal lunchbox he carried to work each day. One particular day he was home and ate his lunch outside under the shade of an old tree. I was about four years old and was fascinated with all the items, besides food, that he had in the lunchbox. As he answered my inquiries about the items, he pulled out a saltshaker to use on a boiled egg. I assumed it was salt but as he put it on the egg, pepper came out as well. I couldn't understand why he had both, salt and pepper, in one container. When I asked him about it he told me that putting them both in one container was more efficient and served the same purpose as two containers. And there was no need to separate the two if their purpose was to be used together on one thing. As an adult, this became the perfect analogy for unity among people. There was/is no need to separate or divide humanity into categories because we all serve, while different, the same purpose...to be compassionate and supporting while uplifting one another. While that notion screams of an idealistic world view, I believe there is truth at its foundation. To me, that salt/pepper shaker is and has always been representative of cooperation, collaboration and a commitment to serve others.