Once upon a time on a farm bounding Loch Bowegon, farmer Frank found he had about five acres, which were not being used for anything and decided to build an obstacle course to challenge anyone willing to participate. He built bridges and hurdles around streams and ponds. There were all sorts of obstacles and a general guide as to the route to follow.

Frank's friend and neighbor Jack observed the construction and questioned the objective. Frank explained the concept and outlined the rules. Jack asked if he could try it out.

Upon completion of the course Jack was surprisingly pleased with what navigating the course did for him. He found that he not only enjoyed it but also wanted to do it again. This time he decided to time himself as a means of judging his performance.

Frank was not only pleased to see how much Jack enjoyed doing his thing but also observed what Jack was trying to do. He was trying to better his previous time which, required acuteness of both his physical and mental skills. This success seemed to give him a great sense of personal satisfaction.

Before long the rest of the neighborhood were involved with Jack giving them guidance and even competing for the best times and least number of blunders. There were so many people who wanted to participate that another course had to be built. This quickly grew to tens of courses and then to hundreds, and these stretched across the country. Thousands of people were involved and rules had to be formally documented, for those who wanted to compete with themselves and with others.

The inevitable then happened as it does when it becomes obvious a commercial market for something exists. Clothing and shoe manufacturers designed items specifically for this sport.

Competition to capture a portion of the market resulted in a new manufacturer designing a pair of sneakers, which would outperform those in use. These would allow for improved performance without any the wearer developing any additional skills.

The basic sneaker was soon replaced by an advanced version that allowed for improved performance

Jack told Frank he was going to try the shoes. He did, and beat his circuit time of 9 minutes and 30 seconds by a whopping 30 seconds. He was so excited that he could hardly contain himself. The record time was what he wanted.

The next morning Jack arrived at the course site and met Frank advising him that he was unable to sleep the night before.

"I thought that breaking my record would mean so much and for an instant yesterday it did. But then I realized it was not me, it was the shoes."

Jack decided that he did not need the new shoes and would not wear them again. Next time he bettered his time it would be a result of his ability to cope with the challenge using his natural abilities and derive the concomitant satisfaction.