James Bender, in his book *How to Talk Well* (New York: McGraw-Hill 
Book Company, Inc., 1994) relates the story of a farmer who grew 
award-winning corn. Each year he entered his corn in the state fair 
where it won a blue ribbon. 

One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something
interesting about how he grew it.    The reporter discovered that the farmer
shared his seed corn with his neighbors. "How can you afford to share your
best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in
competition with yours each year?" the reporter asked.

"Why sir," said the farmer, "didn't you know? The wind picks up
pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my
neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the
quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors 
grow good corn."

He is very much aware of the connectedness of life. His corn cannot
improve unless his neighbor's corn also improves.  So it is in other
dimensions. Those who choose to be at peace must help their neighbors 
to be at peace. Those who choose to live well must help others to live well, 
for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who
choose to be happy must help others to find happiness, for the welfare of 
each is bound up with the welfare of all.

The lesson for each of us is this: if we are to grow good corn, we
must help our neighbors grow good corn.