Life, in a Jar

One of our members volunteers at the Newport Beach Friends of the Library bookstore and never works a shift without buying a book. Last time she came back with an old joke book.

As we laughed at the puns and riddles, we stumbled across this one, which is funny, and profound:

A professor stands before a philosophy class and picks up an empty mayonnaise jar. He then proceeds to fill it with golf balls and asks the students if the jar is full. They agree that it is. 

The professor then picks up a box of pebbles and pours them in the jar. He shakes the jar and the pebbles roll into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asks the students if the jar is full. They agree that it is. 

The professor next picks up a box of sand, and pours it into the jar. He asks once more if the jar is full, and the students agree that it is. 

The professor then picks up two cans of beer, opens them and pours them into the jar. 

“Now,” says the professor, “I want you to recognize the jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things–your family, your children, your health, your friends. If everything else were lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter, like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else–the small stuff. If you put the sand in the jar first, there’s no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. 

And remember, no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of beers.”