Don't Choose The Rope

Someone told me this story at just the right time. I’d decided not to take a chance on writing a different sort of book than I usually did. I was afraid I couldn’t accomplish what I wanted. It was better to stick with what I knew than to risk failure. So I’m sharing this story in hopes someone out there needs it as much as I did.

There was once a very bad thief who was finally caught and convicted of his crimes. When he came before the king for sentencing, the king gave him a choice.

“You may choose to hang,” the king said, showing the thief a thick coil of rope. “Or you may walk through this door and meet your fate. Once you choose, there is no going back.”

The thief took time to consider, looking between the rope and the closed door. He was familiar with the rope. He knew what to expect when it was placed around his neck. He imagined what would meet him once he opened that door. A fierce lion might eat him. Or he could drop into a bottomless crevasse. Finally, he said, “I will choose the rope.”

As he was about to hang, the thief asked, “Please tell me what I would have found behind that door.”

“Ah,” the king replied. “Your freedom.”

So why did the thief choose the rope? Because it was something he knew, something that was familiar. What lay behind the door scared him too much to take a chance.

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Courage put Libby Brown into the final selection for the Olympics, but betrayal crushed her spine and her chance at the Gold. Now she has two choices, use her courage to put her life back together or remain shattered forever.

Reviewers say…

“This story is so inspiring. Not at all the depressing saga I expected it to be. I'm glad I read Libby's story. I think you will, too.”

“The story was very compelling! I thought Ms.McKenzie was right on describing what Libby was thinking and feeling. As a RN working in a hospital, I was often sent to the neuro floor where I took care of several paraplegics. Ms Mckenzie's description of Libby brought back many memories of what the patients expressed to me both in anger and tears.”

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