# 62: The Grass is Always Greener on the Other Side

It might be a good time to review the story of The Three Billy Goats Gruff.

Once upon a time there were three billy goats, Daddy Billy Goat, Mommy Billy Goat, and Baby Billy Goat, and they lived on a field of grass, and every day they would eat the grass.  Munch munch munch, munch munch munch munch.  One day, Baby Billy Goat was eating the grass, and he looked across the river, and he saw more grass over there.  And it looked greener than the grass that he was eating, and it looked delicious, and he wanted to taste it.  

So Baby Billy Goat went up to his Daddy Billy Goat, and he said, “Daddy Billy Goat, how come we never cross the river and eat some of that grass over there?  It looks so green.”

And Daddy Billy Goat said, “Son, I was born on this field of grass, and my father was born on this field of grass, and my father’s father was born on this field of grass.  So we’re staying here.”

So the Baby Billy Goat said “okay” and went back to eating the same old grass.  Munch munch munch, munch munch munch munch.

The next day, Baby Billy Goat was walking around, eating some grass, and he looked across the river again, and the grass looked so much greener over there, and he really wanted to taste it, so he started walking along the river, until he found a bridge.  And then he started crossing the bridge, walk walk walk, walk walk walk walk.  

POP!  It was the troll!   Meh, meh, meh, meh, meh, meh, meh!

“Ah!” The Baby Billy Goat screamed, turned around and ran away.  Then he went to his Mommy Billy Goat, and he said, “Mommy, do you think you could try crossing the bridge and getting some of that grass and bringing it back here so I can taste it?”

And Mommy Billy Goat said, “Um, I don’t think I really wanna do that because I have this friend named Debbie, and she’s a Billy Goat, too, and Debbie has a husband named Jerry, and one time they were going for a walk, and they found that bridge, and they were just curious, so Jerry started walking across the bridge, and then a scary troll popped out of the river and just did this ‘meh meh meh meh meh meh’ thing and they were so so so scared.  So Debbie and Jerry told me that I should never try to cross the bridge, so that’s why I think I don’t wanna try to cross the bridge even though the grass over there does look kind of tasty.  I mean, it really does look greener, doesn’t it?  Like, really really green.  You know what, Baby Billy Goat?  Sometimes when I’m alone, I think, what if I never really do what I want to do with my life?  What if I never really achieve my dreams?  What if I end up as an Old, Old Mommy Billy Goat and for my whole life I’ve just walked around the same old patch of grass, nibbling and nibbling and nibbling until I go crazy?  Question: When is Mommy Billy Goat ever gonna reach for her dreams?  Answer: right now!  OK! OK!  I’m gonna do it!  You’ll see!  You’ll all see!  I’m gonna cross that bridge!”

So Mommy Billy Goat started crossing the bridge, walk walk walk, walk walk walk walk.   

POP!  It was the troll!   Meh, meh, meh, meh, meh, meh, meh!

“Ah!” the Mommy Billy Goat screamed, turned around, and ran away.

Then Baby Billy Goat went up to Daddy Billy Goat and he said, “Daddy Billy Goat, can you please try crossing that bridge?  You’re so big and strong, maybe you won’t be scared of the troll.”

And Daddy Billy Goat said, “Son, I was born on this field of grass, and my father was born on this field of grass, and my father’s father was born on this field of grass.  But what the heck, I’ll give it a shot.”

So Daddy Billy Goat started crossing the bridge, walk walk walk, walk walk walk walk.

POP!  It was the troll!   Meh, meh, meh, meh, meh, meh, meh!

But Daddy Billy Goat wasn’t scared, he just put down his head, stuck out his horns and ran straight into the troll.  And he smashed right into him!  Bam!  And he knocked the troll off of the bridge and the troll fell into the river.  And the troll was hurt so bad that he couldn’t swim anymore so he drowned. 

Then Daddy Billy Goat said, “Come on, Mommy, come on Baby, let’s start crossing this bridge.”  And then they all crossed the bridge and got to the other side of the river.  And Daddy Billy Goat said, “Come on Mommy, come on Baby, let’s start eating this grass."  So they all started eating the grass.

And then, something really funny happened.  Baby Billy Goat was eating the grass, and it tasted okay.  But it wasn’t delicious.  It just tasted like normal grass.  And then he looked back across the river, and the grass over there looked greener!

And the moral of the story is: the grass is always greener on the other side.

As bad as life as an active Mormon seems sometimes, life away from the Church is just as bad, if not worse.  

Have a nice day.