The Revenant Torch

Felix Tracy is nothing close to a good miner. He is a poor old guy. He works in a mine, spending his days underground in the darkness, digging, digging, digging. Although he knows that the mine will probably be the place for him to spend his last days, there is still a part of him that wants to get away with mining and start a brand new life. 

One day, as Felix was mining just like any other day, he wandered off from the rest of the miners. Digging as he imagined his life outside, Felix was absorbed in his thoughts. Suddenly, he spotted something bright, something that looked suspiciously like gold. This could be the turning point in his life, the key to his dreams! 

Felix approached the glowing object. He walked closer and closer as if it was beckoning him forward. Turns out, it was a lamp, right in the middle of absolute darkness. This seemed impossible. Felix had worked in the same mine for thirty-six years, but he has never seen a lamp in the mine in his career. He touched the lamp, and it opened the wall behind it. And inside was a statue. 

He walked toward it with the lamp in his hands. The statue was Hercules, the god of persistence in Greek mythology. The statue spoke, “Felix Tracy, today is your time to shine. Follow and persist your dream, and I will provide help and guidance when needed.” Astonished, Felix ran all the way back to the ground, strengthening himself for the rough yet possible path before him. 

He worked 200% of his effort for the years passed, doing his very best to accomplish his goal. He wanted to quit, but he knew that if he wanted to be someone, he couldn’t. Twenty years later, Felix became the boss of the mining company he used to work in.  

The moral of this story is to follow your dreams and follow your heart because, with persistence,  determination, and the drive to never give up, you can do anything. 

Anything is possible, even the impossible. 

English Corner: 

• approached: 靠近 (v.) come near or nearer to (someone or something) in distance or time
• persistence: 毅力 (n.) the quality or state of being persistent
• guidance: 指導 (n.) advice or information aimed at resolving a problem or difficulty, especially as given by someone in authority