Parachutes
One night, a twin-engine puddle jumper was flying somewhere
above New Jersey. There were five people on board: the pilot,
Michael Jordan, Bill Gates, the Dalai Lama, and a hippie.
Suddenly, an explosion sounded loudly in the luggage
compartment, and the passenger cabin began to fill with smoke.
The cockpit door opened and the pilot burst into the
compartment.
"Gentlemen," he began," I have good news and
bad news. The bad news is that we're about to crash in New
Jersey.
The good news is that there are four parachutes, and I have
one of them! With that, the pilot threw open the door and
jumped from the plane.
Michael Jordan was on his feet in a flash. "Gentlemen,
" he said, "I am the world's greatest athlete. The
world needs great athletes. I think the world's greatest
athlete should have a parachute!" With these words, he
grabbed one of the remaining parachutes, and hurtled through
the door and into the night.
Bill Gates rose and said, "Gentlemen, I am the world's
smartest man. The world needs smart men. I think the world's
smartest man should have a parachute, too." He grabbed
a pack, and out he jumped.
The Dalai Lama and the hippie looked at one another. Finally,
the Dalai Lama spoke. "My son," he said, "I
have lived a satisfying life and have known the bliss of True
Enlightenment. You have your life ahead of you; you take the
parachute, and I will go down with the plane."
The hippie smiled slowly and said, "Hey, don't worry,
pop. The world's smartest man just jumped out wearing my
backpack."
