The Missing Piece.

Today in Psychotherapy, Dr. Orr read us the best book ever written:



I laughed, I nearly cried, but mostly I just want to write pages and pages and pages about what the book says. Don't let its simplicity fool you, this wonderful book teaches some profound concepts and leaves so much room for interpretation. True to life metaphors.

Simply delightful.

Am very frustrated that I can't get a hold of this book online for free so I could link you to it. I'll pay for it someday, when I finally have $$$ again. Whatever you do, get a hold of it and read it. A blog-worthy book/movie is really something.

Yeah. That's the kind of book I will read to my children.

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Postscript:

AHA! I finally found "The Missing Piece" published online somewhere. The WHOLE thing! But this is not the book we read in class, this is the first book. It has the same magic, but a slightly different message.

Read it here!!!

Bad luck: the entire site is in another language so even if the second book WAS published there, I can't browse the site for it! Grr! I did find the text for "The Missing Piece Meets the Big O" ironically, also on a site in another language. Man, this Shel Silverstein guy is popular!

The text by itself doesn't contain the magic of the illustrations (you may not understand it without the visuals). I don't want to ruin the experience for anyone, so I'll hide the text and you can choose to read it now or do otherwise.

Show: The Missing Piece Meets the Big O
by Shel Silverstein.

　　　　　　　The misssing piece sat alone...

waiting　for　someone　to　come　along　and　take　it　somewhere

　　　　　　　　Some　fit...

　　　　　　but　could　not　roll．

　　　　Others　could　roll　but　did　not　fit．

　　　One　didn’t　know　a　thing　about　fitting．

　And　another　didn’t　know　a　thing　about　anything．

　　　　　One　was　too　delicate．

ｐｏｐ！

　　　　　One　put　it　on　pedestal...

　　　　　　　and　left　it　there.

　　　　Some　had　too　many　pieces　missing.

　　　　Some　had　too　many　pieces　，period．

　　　It　learned　to　hide　from　the　hungry　ones．

　　　　　　　　　　　More　came．

　　　　　Some　looked　too　closely．　ＡＨＡ！

　　Others　rolled　right　by　without　noticing．　ＨＩ...？

　　　It　tried　to　make　itself　more　attractive...

　　　　　　　　　It　didn’t　help.

　　　　　　　　　It　tried　being flashy
　
　　　　but　that　frightened　away　the　shy　ones.

　　　At　last　one came　along　that　fit　just　right.

　　　　　　　　But　all　of　sudden...

　　　　the　missing　piece　bigan　to　grow！

　　　　　　　　　　And　grow！

　“I　didn’t　know　you　were　going　to　grow.”

　“I　didn’t　know　it　either，”said　the　missing　piece.

　　　　“I’m　lookin’　for　my　missin’　piece，　

　　　　　one　that　won’t　increase...”　ＢＹＥ...

ＳＩＧＨ...

　　　　　　　　And　then　one　day，

　　　　　one　came　along　who　looked　different.

　　“What　do　you　want　of　me？”asked　the　missing　piece.

　　　　　　　　　　“Nothing.”

　　　　　“Who　do　you　need　from　me？”

　　　　　　　　　　“Nothing.”
　　
　　　“Who　are　you？”asked　the　missing　piece.

　　　“I　am　the　Ｂｉｇ　Ｏ，”said　the　Ｂｉｇ　Ｏ.

“Ｉ　think　you　are　the　one　I　have　been　waiting　for，”

　　　　　　　　　　　　said　the　missing　piece.
　　　
　　　　　　“Maybe　I　am　your　missing　piece.”


“But　I　am　not　missing　a　piece，”said　the　Ｂｉｇ　Ｏ.
　
　　　　　“There　is　no　place　you　would　fit.”

　　　“That　is　too　bad，”said　the　missing　piece.

“I　was　hoping　that　perhaps　I　could　roll　with　you...”


“You　cannot　roll　with　me，”said　the　Ｂｉｇ　Ｏ.

“but　perhaps　you　can　roll　by　yourself.”

“By　myself？　A　missing　piece　cannot　roll　by　itself.”

“Have　you　ever　tried？”asked　the　Ｂｉｇ　Ｏ.

“But　I　have　sharp　corners，”said　the　missing　piece.

　　　　“I　am　not　shaped　for　rolling.”

　　“Corners　wear　off，”said　the　Ｂｉｇ　Ｏ.

“ａｎｄ　shapes　change. Anyhow，I　must　say　good―bye.

　　　　　　Perhaps　we　will　meet　again...”


　　　　　　　　　And　away　it　rolled.


　　　　　The　the　missing　piece　was　alone　again.

　　　　　　For　a　long　time　it　just　sat　there.

　　　　　　　　　　　　Then...

　　　　　　　　　　　　slowly...

　　　　　it　lifted　itself　up　on　one　end...

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　...and　flpped　over.ＰＬＯＰ！

　　　　Then　lift...pull...flop...

　　　　　　it　began　to　move　forward...

　　　　And　soon　its　edgs　began　to　wear　off...

　　　　　　　　liftpullflopliftpullflop...

　　　　　　and　its　shape　began　to　change...

　　　and　the　it　was　bumping　instead　of　flopping...

　　　and　then　it　was　bouncing　instead　of　bumping...

　　　and　then　it　was　rolling　instead　of　bouncing...

　　　and　it　didn’t　know　where　and　it　didn’t　care.

　　　　　　
　　　　　　　　　　　It　was　rolling！

If you are interested, someone took a few snapshots of the pages. At least I recognize that this site is in Japanese. I couldn't even identify the other language.

*sigh* The world needs more books like these.