Don't get stuck on the insignificant

As a child, I loved to read the poems of Shel Silverstein. I read them now to my own children.

As an adult, I'm continually amazed at the deep meaning in much of his work, and I wonder how I ever missed it when I was little.

Here is a favorite of mine, from A Light in the Attic. It's a story that I'm sure I witnessed at least a hundred times while working in corporate America.

THE TOAD AND THE KANGAROO

Said the Toad to the Kangaroo
"I can hop and so can you.
So if we marry we'll have a child
Who can jump a mountain or hop a mile
And we can call it a Toadaroo,"
Said the hopeful Toad to the Kangaroo.

Said the Kangaroo, "My dear,
What a perfectly lovely idea.
I would most gladly marry you.
But as for having a Toadaroo,
I'd rather we call it a Kangaroad,"
Said the Kangaroo to the frowning Toad.

So they argued but couldn't agree
On Rangatoo or Kangaree
And finally the Toad said, I don't give a dang
If it's a Rootakoad or a Toadakang-
I really don't feel like marrying you!"
"Fine with me," said the Kangaroo.

And the Toad had no more to say,
And the Kangaroo just hopped away.
And they never married or had a child
That could jump a mountain or hop a mile.
What a loss - what a shame -
Just 'cause they couldn't agree on a name.

How many big ideas have you missed out on because you couldn't let go of a small detail?