Perhaps

2500 years ago, a Chinese farmer was harvesting his crop when a wild horse galloped by wildly, destroying his fence and damaging his harvest before galloping away.

Hearing the commotion, his neighbors ran to his field.  "What misfortune!  Our crops were meager to begin with, and now you won't be able to pay your taxes this year!"

As the man was harvesting his undamaged crop, he simply remarked, "Perhaps."

Confused as to why he was seemingly unconcerned with such a poor turn of events, they shook their heads and returned to their harvesting.

The next Spring the horse returned, this time he merely grazing the fresh grass.

Calmly approaching the horse, the neighbors gathered, and were stunned to see that he the horse seemed to trust him and let farmer lead him back to the stables where his other horse stayed.

"What fortune!  The gods smile on you, having attained such a fine horse!"

"Perhaps."

Grumbling and confused, they began to think the man was insane.

A few weeks later, word spread that the son of the farmer had tried to take the horse out for a ride, only to be thrown off and have both his legs broken.

Again, they came with their concerns.  "He was your only son!  How unfortunate that he is now laid up and unable to work or take care of you or your wife in your old age as a son should!"

And yet again, the old man simply responded with "Perhaps".

It wasn't long before the farmer discovered that his two horses had bred, and they soon had a fine young foal.

"What great fortune!  You can now begin the horse-breeding business that is so profitable in our time of war!"

"Perhaps" the now predictable reply came.

The next day, the magistrate with a few military officials came into town.  "By Imperial Decree, all men between 16 and 35 are to report for deployment to punish the rebels!"  When the young men had gathered, the officials began to round up those that did not come by their own volition, but passed up the farmers son who was still recovering from his broken legs.

"What misfortune!  Your son missed out on the chance of a lifetime, fighting in the Emperors name and gaining glory for your house!"

"Perhaps."

It came to pass six months later, that the entire army was annihilated, all it's soldiers captured and killed and it's officers forced to submit or suffer the same fate.

The entire region was in tears, so many young men never to return home.  The old man looked up at the sky and said to himself, "There is no use trying to predict the way things will come to pass.  I can only say perhaps and live life as best I can."

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Though we make plans, seize opportunities and do what we feel best, we can never predict the final result.  There are too many paths, too many variables and too many ups and downs to ever say for certain, only that "perhaps" what we wish will come to pass and merely do our best until then.