A man and his son were once going with their donkey to market. As they were walking along by his side a countryman passed them and said, "You fools, what is a donkey for but to ride

A man and his son were once going with their donkey to market. As they were walking along by its side, a countryman passed them and said, "You fools! What is a donkey for but to ride?"

The man thought about it and said, "You know what, he’s right!" So he hoisted his son onto the donkey’s back, and they continued their journey.

A few minutes later, they passed by a group of old women who frowned and shook their heads. "Young boys these days have no respect! That poor old man is walking while the strong young lad rides!"

Feeling guilty, the son got off, and the father climbed onto the donkey instead.

Soon, they passed another group of travelers who gasped and pointed. "Look at that! A strong man riding while the little boy struggles to keep up on foot! What a terrible father!"

The man sighed and pulled his son up onto the donkey with him. "There. Now we’re both riding. Surely nobody can complain now!"

But as they neared the market, a stern-faced farmer yelled, "You cruel people! That poor donkey is carrying both of you? He’s not a truck, you know!"

The father and son exchanged glances, nodded, and both got off. "Alright," the father said, "We’ll just carry the donkey then!"

So they tied the donkey’s legs to a pole, hoisted it onto their shoulders, and carried it down the road. People along the way burst into laughter, pointing and taking pictures. "Look at these two idiots! Carrying a donkey! Who’s the beast of burden now?"

Embarrassed and exhausted, the father finally sighed and set the donkey down. "You know what? No matter what we do, someone will always criticize us. Let’s just do what makes sense and ignore the rest."

And so, they continued their journey—walking beside the donkey, as they had in the first place.

Moral of the story: No matter what you do, someone will always have an opinion. So, stop trying to please everyone and just ride your own donkey—or don’t!