Worth Its Salt

Kelly Bingham
July 18, 2006

Joe was making some bread for his family. As he added the ingredients, he realized that he didn't have any salt. He looked all around the kitchen but there was no salt to be found. He knew the bread wouldn't be right without the salt, so Joe took an empty cup and went to the house next door to see if they had salt to give him.

Joe went to his neighbor's house and knocked on the door. A man opened the door and greeted him. Joe asked the man if he had any salt he could give him. The man apologized, saying he would, but he didn't have any salt. Joe thanked him anyway then walked down the path to the next house.

Once again, Joe knocked on the door, asked for some salt. This time he was invited into the home to visit. After a bit of polite conversation Joe asked his host if he had salt for him. The host appeared to be avoiding Joe's request because he kept on talking about other subjects. A few more of Joe's inquiries about salt were brushed aside for topics the host seemed to think were more relevant. Joe thanked the man for his time and left, slightly bewildered.

Joe didn't find much luck at the next house either. Upon asking for the salt, the member of the house started lecturing Joe on how salt was unnecessary because it was only a symbolic additive to bread and that there were enough salt substitutes that no one really needed actual salt anymore. Joe left the house feeling confused because he knew the ingredients for bread required salt. Without it the bread just wouldn't be right.

Frustrated but determined, Joe knocked on the next door, not quite sure what to expect. A guy greeted Joe at the door and listened to his pleas for salt. This time the man responded that not only did he have salt; he would give Joe the best salt he had ever tasted. Joe almost couldn't believe it as he watched the man enter the kitchen then return with a container. Joe held up his cup as the man tipped his ready to pour.

Something wasn't right. Joe waited and watched, and waited and watched, but there was nothing coming from the container. He asked the guy if the salt was stuck. Gruffly, the guy replied the salt was fine and that he was about done pouring. Joe looked into his cup and saw it was still empty-as empty as the container of special salt. The guy was pouring an empty container into an empty cup. Joe asked the guy why he thought he could give something that he didn't have. The man, very offended, insisted that he had given Joe exactly what he asked for. He then demanded that Joe leave.

Joe had just about had enough. He really wanted to make bread for his family, but was this frustration worth it? He decided to try one more house before giving up his search. He saw one more house down the path so he hesitantly walked to the door, not quite sure what to expect. He couldn't believe there were so many different opinions about something as simple as salt, especially when it came to bread making.

Once again he knocked; once again a gentleman opened the door. With little expectation Joe asked the gentlemen if he could have some salt so he could finish making his bread. The gentlemen invited him into his home and asked Joe to follow him into his kitchen. The gentlemen of the house asked Joe to hold up his cup. Joe held it up and to his delight, and astonishment; he saw his cup being filled to the brim with salt.

Relieved at finally finding the salt he had been searching for, Joe thanked the man profusely. Now that his recipe was complete, he brought the salt home, finished preparing the bread and shared it with his family.