A tale of 2 parties, a dad, and you

This is a tale of you. You never knew who your father was, grew pretty much like any common guy, and are just a regular person. One day you receive 2 invitations for dinners from people you don't know. You ask for recommendations and you are told that one is led by a very nice guy who gives the best dinners ever, although the appetisers are not that great. The other has the best appetisers ever, but the owner is a major a**hole and the dinner is nowhere to be seen.

You then decide to go to the first dinner. You find out only a few people are coming in and they first check if you are in the list to let you in. People are sharply dressed and nice, the music is soft and nice, but the appetisers are indeed barely enough to keep you from dying of hunger. Meanwhile, you hear a muffled sound from the other party, which sounds very nice.

You then meet the owner of the house and, to your amazement, is the father you never knew! He then tells you he will be by your side forever, that you are his lost son, and that you could count on him for whatever you need. He goes then back to the kitchen to continue preparing the dinner, but that time you are too hungry and decide to go to the other party just to check it out.

This time, a lot of people are coming in, there seems to be no checking in list, the people look fantastic (especially the women!), and the appetisers are indeed incredible! Champaign by the rivers, caviar by the spoonful, the most exotic and delicious foods you never even knew existed. The music is VERY loud, everyone is singing and you soon find out that they are nice so as long as you don't bump on them or something, otherwise they become quite rude. As for the owner of the house, he is nowhere to be seen.

You then eat to your heart's content and then start feeling sleepy with all the fancy food in your belly, so decide to go home. You are then stopped by 2 thugs who demand payment for the food you ate. You say you were invited, but since there was no checking in of any kind, they cannot confirm it. Either way, it is clear that even if they did, they would still demand payment.

You then find out the price tag is incredibly expensive, which shows how greedy the house owner is, and then, being unable to pay, the thugs start to beat you up, take your wallet, empty your credit cards, and when they go for your phone as payment, you then recall the father you just met. You call him asking for help. He then shows up quick, pays the outrageous amount, puts money back in your wallet and credit cards, and tries to take you back to his party. You then thank him but to his disappointment you tell him you prefer just to go home. After all, your belly is full of great food and you are sleepy.

You then come home and discover great food digests quickly so you are hungry again, your fridge is empty, there is nothing on TV, and there are still 2 parties happening. You then decide to return to your dad's party. He receives you with a hug and goes back to the kitchen to prepare the dinner. You again feel hungry and decide to return to the evil party, thinking you'd be able to pay as now you have more money. Again you find out that the bill is still unpayable, you then call your dad, who again comes and pays the bill... and the whole thing repeats itself over and over again. Worse: you get so used to be saved by your dad you start to think it is his obligation and even complain when he takes longer that you'd expect to arrive.

Finally, both houses close as dinner is finally served and all the people invited are inside. Now, you could be at the unknow guy's home, only to finally meet him and see that was indeed the a**hole everyone told you about. This time however, your phone runs out of battery and you are unable to call your dad to come save you again. You try to scream for him but the loud music muffles your sound. So you are stuck forever at this "party" with an unpayable bill. And what people told you was real: there is indeed no dinner there.

Or you can be at your dad's home and see indeed that the dinner was awesome and worth the wait. You then hear that the wonderful music from the other party stopped and everyone is screaming: no doubt being beat up by the same thugs asking for payment no one has the money to afford.

But at your dad's home he can tell you "Listen: in all these times I called you son and you never considered my a father: only someone to pay your bills. As such, I will actually act like the other guy did: make you work to pay for this dinner. You will see however my bill is quite reasonable, and only due because you refuse to be my son, so I respect your wish and treat you like a regular guest". Or, he can say "Although you gave me a lot of trouble and expense, you always tried to be my son, so come enjoy by my side this great meal I prepared for you".

In either case, you finally ask your dad why were the appetisers so inferior when compared with this fine dinner he is serving, or the ones from the other party. He then asks you: "What did you do when you ate all those fine appetisers from the other party? You felt bloated and went home to sleep. Do you think I would want you leaving my party for the same reason before dinner was served?"

Then you realise you could have simply asked for more appetisers, but you didn't as you never saw yourself as a son and that house as your own: you always saw yourself as simply a guest, and it is rude to ask more food from a host. And that all the times your dad saved you did nothing to change your views.

Appetisers are our lives. Rich people live bloated lives and are not really interested in the dinner (heaven) that comes afterwards. As such, they end up being slaves forever to pay for all that fine lives they lived. As for working at our fathers place, that is purgatory: a place to pay for entrance to heaven because we are unable to accept him as a father. And this is everyone's story: a story of accepting we have a dad and being treated as a son, or refusing we have a dad and, being treated by him like just a guest or, worse, as a slave by the other guy. You decide.