The Little Prince

I’ve always enjoyed books. In elementary school there was a reading program in which we could earn points based on the number of books read. Then win rewards based on the points you gained from completing each book. I was an avid reader and used this as a sort of super power to attain items that I could not afford with money. I had a fifth grade math teacher who always came off as strict and reserved, a person who had very little patience for such things as children. So I was very surprised when she noticed my love of books and recommended "The Little Prince". This book would become a subconscious staple for me throughout my life. It forced me to ask myself questions many people aren't faced with until their adulthood. The story has taken on new meaning for each phase of my journey, giving me new understanding and hope.

The story unfolds with the Pilot crashing in the Sahara desert. Upon meeting the Little Prince the Pilot is asked to draw him a sheep that would never die. After multiple attempts of drawing the sheep and failing the Pilot decides to draw the sheep inside of a box. As a child, I remembered thinking how witty of the Pilot to put the sheep in a box. The sheep could now be everything the Prince needed. For example, if the sheep became hungry the Prince could imagine it being fed. If the sheep was tired the Prince could imagine it getting rest. If the sheep were to become lonely he could remind himself that they had each other. This was the perfect shelter for a sheep and a young boy far from home. When I was young it was easy to think I will never lose imagination. Even as a child I was creative, I enjoyed writing stories and making up tunes to sing to myself around the house. So who I am depends on my imagination and the ability to see what's inside the box. But like many of the adults the Prince encountered, life happened and caused me to push aside my imagination in pursuit of everything else. Which is in some ways similar to the businessman, a character consumed with attaining riches by counting the stars so that he could own them.

As the businessman would agree, life does not leave much space for stories and imagination when there is money to be made. I forgot the promise I made to myself and instead began the search for financial stability. I was unable to understand the best part of life was my ability to create. This mindset caused me to go on a long journey similar to the Little Prince of rediscovering what is truly important to me.

Lastly, the story that particularly stood out to me was the love shared between the Little Prince and his beloved rose. There had been other flowers on the Prince's planet that were simple and would appear in the morning and fade in the evening but the rose was different. She took her time to bloom, arranging her petals one by one according to the book. I think she wanted to be beautiful for the Little Prince. I think the rose took her time to bloom because men love beautiful things and the rose wanted to be loved. Once the rose had fully blossomed the Prince exclaimed ‘Oh how beautiful you are!” Then perceived the roses actions as vain, tortuous and demanding.

Reading this book in elementary school was my first exposure to love. Now as an adult I wonder if the rose wasn't so demanding would the Prince have felt needed? Although her actions were misguided the rose did achieve what she wanted, love and admiration. The rose wanted to be more than just another flower. Perhaps, she really wasn't vain but resentful of the fact that the planet was so small and she had to depend heavily on the Prince to survive. Perhaps, she knew that one day he would decide to leave and this would mean a slow death for her. Perhaps, the thought of dying alone manifested into overcompensation, the need to make up lies about fighting off tigers. A need to prove that she was more than just a beautiful flower but indeed a thing of strength able to take care of itself. My heart goes out to the rose and the Little Prince for the love that was cut short. A love filled with misunderstandings. A love that was realized too late. Overall, this story was a great guide that I’m lucky to have discovered at a young age. I hope this article inspires someone to read the book and experience the journey of the Little Prince.