 Thank you, Matthew. It's such a joy and honor to be here with you all so I want to start us off on the story theme with two stories One is an old story and another is a new story so the old story is an Ancient tale that was set to rhyme in the 18 late 1800s by John Godfrey sacks And it's a story many of you will be familiar with It's called the blind men and the elephant It was six men of Indostan to learning much inclined who went to see the elephant Though all of them were blind that each by observation might satisfy his mind The first approached the elephant and happening to fall against its broad and sturdy side at once began to ball For goodness sake the elephant is very like a wall The second feeling at the tusk cried oh what have we here so very round and smooth and sharp To meet his mighty clear this marvel of an elephant is very like a spear The third approached the animal and happening to take its squirming trunk within his hands thus boldly up and spake I see said he the elephant is very like a snake The fourth reached out his eager hands and felt about the knee What most this wondrous beast is like as mighty plain said he Tis clear enough the elephant is very like a tree The fifth no sooner had begun about the beast to grope Then seizing on its swinging tail that fell within his scope. I see said he the elephant is very like a rope The sixth who chance to touch its ear said even the blindest man can tell what this resembles most deny it No one can this marvel of an elephant is very like a fan And so these men of Indus stand disputed loud and long each with his opinion exceeding stiff and strong While each was partly in the right all were mostly in the wrong the moral So often theologic wars Disputants can be seen to rail on an ignorance of what each other mean with claims about an elephant Not one of them has seen So there we have the ancient tale the old story and The new story I wrote a few years ago Is a sequel the elephants decree There is a long forgotten sequel to the ancient tale Where six men in pursuit of truth continued on its trail and with an unexpected turn Wisdom did prevail The turning came the very day of their famous outing Right at the height of these blind men arguing and pouting the elephant let out a sound That pierced through all their doubting the men sat silently Humbled by the regal call Then the first one spoke How can it be I ask you all the elephants a trumpet now yet also like a wall Perspective is the word the second man articulated each of our views directly gotten and Sincerely stated is one of many truths to see and need not be debated Hearing this the men stepped off their rickety soap boxes They all now held one common view and each their paradoxes This opened up their little minds to see outside their boxes perspective is the word Perspective is the word a Wondrous beast indeed the third man mused in a reverent tone Together we can see beyond what we could see alone and there is much more to explore an Infinite unknown in our search for truth the fourth man said We are each blessed with two ways of knowing One we share with all the rest The other way is ours alone We need both for our quest Then the fifth man spoke You all are my brothers as all existence is my own one without another a vast and shimmering field of jewels Reflecting on each other the sixth man had not spoken since the elephants to Cree He found the language of silence most eloquent and free What it was he saw that day remains a mystery Thus ends the tale of six blind men and how they came to see