THE ADAMANT PLANT

I have been focusing on the plants in my garden, a bit more than earlier. I am writing this because I want to share a real-life experience with the plant-world ....

We often remove the weeds and unwanted growth in our garden. There is a creeper in my house, which is located pretty close to the public electric pole near the compound wall. This creeper gives seasonal flowers and they do look beautiful. But somehow, the creeper insists on climbing the electric pole and create a mess at the top, where all the wires join. As it is, our electric poles are one of the wonders of the world! Among so many wires snaking out in different directions is this creeper, showing bright red flowers for about 2-3 months in a year. The 'authorities' suggested I cut this creeper as it may cause 'short circuit' - I fail to understand how a wooden substance [ a very good insulator ] can cause short circuit!

Nevertheless, bowing to the desire of the electric Lineman, I trimmed the tree. It, however, had its own will... few weeks later, I found it was climbing up the pole again. I trimmed it again. And again, and again... this has been going on for about more than a year. In fact, I even stopped watering this particular plant, hoping that it would wither. It did not. It gained strength from other roots, I guess... if I insisted on cutting its path upwards, the creeper was more insistent on defying me. And finally, as part of my quarterly weeding of the garden, I got this creeper axed at the root. I felt relieved.... I would not have to trim it any more and I would not have botheration from neighbours or the electric Lineman.

A nature lover I am, but I am also a responsible citizen, with a social responsibility, I assuaged myself. How can I allow a plant in my compound to cause short-circuit of power supply in my colony... yes, I calmed myself, I did the right thing. But, but ... somewhere, I was feeling guilty... maybe there was a way out, another route for the creeper up the nearby coconut tree... or along the compound wall... something, surely?... Whenever I watered the plants, I looked at the corner with a sense of guilt.

God, however, has his own plans, they say... Nature too has its own plans... lo and behold, I found three shoots standing up proudly a couple of days back! As the wind blew gently, they danced in celebration and defiance!!! I could hear them telling me to allow them to grow... they were waving 'no, no' to the cutter in my mind... My joy knew no bounds, my guilt vanished and I knew I have learnt a lesson from this plant, silent but strong, loud and clear ...

If you have the will, you can do it. Its not important how many times you fall down, what is important is how many times you get up after you are knocked down. This plant taught me this very important lesson, practically. The negatives in our lives have to be there, else there would be no 'positive' in the English dictionary. Our thoughts, actions and deeds should be so full of the 'positives' that the 'negatives' are overwhelmed, over-shadowed and overtaken.