Call it a parable. Or whatever.

Lately, I’ve been musing about the bull that returned to a village as many had feared and a few, five years ago, had either warily or gleefully forecasted.

As before, the bull made a beeline to the local china shop, pausing only to admire its bullish reflection in windows as it passed.

The logical question on every villager’s mind: “How long do we have to put up with this bull?”

Editor’s note: at this writing, we’re down to 1044 days, 15 hours, and 10 minutes, give or take.

“That sucks, “said the villagers, “so what do we do in the meantime?”

Which is when they decided to find the village’s grayest graybeard, someone who, judging by the wrinkles on his face and the scars on his back, had seen this scene and danced this dance before.

By the way, and not for nothing, that's an unsubtle shoehorn into the value of experience, facility, memory, and perspective that some of the people in my industry — advertising — might want to think about.

But, of course, I digress.

Because when the graybeard looked back at the anxious crowd in front of his cottage door, he nodded to himself, recalling the last time the bull had rampaged through the china shop.

“I assume he’s raging and stomping and snorting so loud you can’t focus on anything else,” he asked the villagers.

“And, I assume he’s not just shattering the glassware, but social, political, and even constitutional norms, as before?”

The silence was confirmation enough.

“Well, friends, that leaves you with a choice. And, conveniently, it’s both a truism and a moral to this sort of parable.”

“What’s that?” said the villagers.

“You can gnash your teeth and tear your hair and count the shards. Or, you can start thinking about what happens to the china shop and the village after the bull.

"And where does that leave us?" asked the young girl in the front.

“Knowing that at some point, he has to leave.  And then  we can build something better.”

“Kind of a lame story,’ concluded the graybeard, turning back to the door and the warm fire within.

“But, when you think about it, not a bad idea.”