Lighting a Fire
The proverb “the world is your oyster” dates back to the 1600s but is still widely used today to express a general truth that one can unlock a wealth of opportunities with hard work and determination. The way an oyster produces a pearl aptly illustrates the adage. Individuals have a 1-in-10,000 chance of finding a natural pearl in a wild oyster. The arduous process begins when an irritant lodges between the oyster’s shell and mantle. The shellfish coats the foreign object with layers of nacre which harden over the span of several years to form a pearl.
