Jack, where were you when you
heard a voice from within say,
"Hit the road Jack?" You were
where most people are, "in-the-box."

Jack-out-of-the-box - wild, untamed, cunning, able to out-fox the fox.
There is a hundred-and-eighty degrees difference in Jack-out-of-the-box and Jack -in-the-box.
You are acquainted with Jack-in-the-box. You have probably visited his box to buy a hamburger, French fries or what so -called post 9/11/01, Iraq-hawkish American super patriots are now calling freedom fries, a cola or refrigerated vegetables that may have been harvested two seasons ago.
But the real Jack rabbit that Jack-in-the-box proprietors want to make you feel that they are imitating dosen't eat that kind of stuff. He likes to eat his vegetables as soon as he takes them from the earth and a hamburger he instinctively knows that that's for ordinary humans. Even the Jackass that may have something less than horse sense eats earthily, not Jack-in-the-boxish. So the image for Jack-in-the-box bears a closer resemblance to the clown's head that springs out of the box when its lid is raised than the jack rabbit.
Equal opportunity correctness compels me to ask this question: "What does McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Toco Bell, Domino's Pizza and Kentucky Fried Chicken have in common with Jack-in-the- box?
There are human beings who are Jacks -in-the-box.
There are also human beings who are Jacks-out of-the box. I want to introduce you to some of the latter ones. You may already be familiar with some of them although they are rare human beings in our society. You may have heard some people speak of them disparagingly. Anyone who meets a Jack-out-of-the-box cannot ignore him. His presence is pronouncd.
The two qualities that distinguish him best are unpredictableness and responsibility. When you meet him be prepared for surprises. If you are not overwhelmed or stunned by his presence you may be surprised by joy. Because he is unpredictable you cannot know how he will behave - what he might do or say next. Rather than greet a person with a handshake he may greet him with a hug or kiss without any concern as to the person's gender or other superficial characteristics or taboo-like beliefs that most people consider when greeting or relating to another human being with the intention of being socially correct. This may include relating to a person based on his status, ranking or position in society. The Jack-out-of-the-box cares less.
When encountering a Jack-out-of- the-box you have this assurance - a prize it is - that should put your mind at ease: he will be responsible. You will find him to be a person of integrity, interesting, authentic, creative and happy. He follows his heart. Generally, he is not admired or honored by ego-centered people despite the fact that he is among the sanest and wisest. They may try to shun him and deny him an opportunity to speak because these ego-centered people realize that the Jack-out-of-the-box speaks the unadulterated truth that could be unsettling for them, especially for those who may have gained their reputations of significance status based on lies and manipulation. Assuredy, they fear that the Jack-out-of-the-box may expose them as he strips them naked in public for all to see. While doing this he may declare, "To hell with phony people!"
The Jack-out-of-the-box will be nobody but himself. Observe him. You will get what you see.
Just in case you haven't got the moral of this story or discerned the challenge it proffers, this is it in a nutshell: get out of the box - climb out, break out, tunnel your way under the box and out of it. The way or process one person pursues to get out of the box may not be the same as that used by another person to extricate himself from his entrapment. If you are considering being a Jack-out-of -the-box be aware that people have in the past and will continue in the future to work night and day to keep you in the box. But realize that you have more power over your own life than anyone else and that there isn't any power that can prevent you from becoming a Jack-out-of-the-box except you. Accept the truth about yourself, that you were created and meant to be unboxed and free. Learn to fly again. Be spontaneous. Let your inner child become alive again and be surprised by joy.
I testify that I'll walk thirty miles to meet a Jack-out -of-the-box but will refuse to walk across the street to meet an all-too-common Jack-in-the-box. Jack-out-of-the-box I want to play with you. Please be my playmate. I don't need to know what game you are going to play today because any game you play is going to be meaningful, exciting and fun.
How beautiful it is when one Jack-out -of -the-box relates with another Jack-out-of-the-box. It is just as John Keats observed, "A thing of beauty is a joy forever." Wow!

Copyright 2004 by Uriah J. Fields