The Chinese Bamboo Tree

 
    Have you ever come across this story? If no, then here is your opportunity to finally read it!
     The tale of the bamboo tree revolves around an old impoverished farmer in search of productivity. Now the farmer  ( let's call him Baba ) feeling downcast decides to check out the market in search of seeds for planting.
     After a while, he hears a man screaming " buy the magical seeds that are guaranteed to change your life "! Baba makes to walk past the trader but by some stroke of fate, he stops in his tracks to inquire about the seeds. "Baba these seeds would make you rich, famo..." " How "? Baba cuts in. Not needing too much convincing, Baba pays handsomely for the seeds and continues  his search for other seeds.
    Excited, Baba plants the seeds in the centre of his farm, waters the bed just right, clears out all the weed, and applies fertilisers regularly for a year.
     To Baba's chagrin, at the end of the first year, the seeds show no sign of sprouting. Something had to be wrong some where so Baba tries more manure, waters more frequently and checks the bed twice daily for another year. Still, no change.
     By the third year, Baba had little optimism left for the seeds. Other seeds had germinated and given Baba his money's worth but the magical seeds remained within the bosom of earth. Still, he watered.
     By the fifth year, Baba couldn't care less if the seeds grew or not. Night after night, he mourned the loss of his money and swore to hurt the trader if he ever set eyes on him. Did he still water daily? Oh yes he did.
     One day, the old man looks at the bed and says "for five years , I have diligently watered you. I have given you more care than any other seed. Despite my hard work, you have refused to grow. People have mocked my effort calling it folly. After today, I would stop wasting my time with you "!
    The next morning, Baba returns to the bed to water as usual  and lo and behold tiny leaves stood on weak stems from the bed. Alas, the seeds were sprouting! In six weeks, the bamboo tree grew ninety feet!
 
MORAL OF THE STORY
    The story clearly points out the virtue of patience. Everybody wants to be wealthy, famous, successful. The truth is very few people want to truly work for it. Frankly , everything good takes time to achieve. I like to point out our saviour Jesus every time I talk about patience. Despite being the son of God, He waited till the appointed time to begin his ministry. Of course he could have said "I'm the son of the most high, I can start at age  twelve "! But he didn't. On the flip side, imagine that Jesus had started his ministry before the appointed time. John wouldn't have  been ready to do his job, his disciples might not have been convinced and of course, the whole script would have been upside down.
     Another lesson is consistency. One of the reasons I doggedly stick to writing is the encouragement I get to continue and never ever think what I'm doing is stupid. Consistency means that come rain come sunshine, you are out doing your thing. When it's blue, when it's pink, you are doing what you love.
     Often times , we start off something with so much optimism. As time goes on, we expect our investment  to start rolling in results in a thousand folds. I remember fondly what some lady once told me. In her words " we don't pay for effort but for result ". I wish I could turn back the hands of time to tell her to read the story of the bamboo tree.
    Like the bamboo tree, many of our plans especially life time investment plans take longer to process. A lot of people might be unlike the old man and opt for the fast route but like the other seeds,  the fast way is guaranteed to yield harvest for a short time.  My point is,  It really doesn't matter how long it takes to achieve something. The longer it takes, the better the result .
   With just a few days to 2016, I employ you guys to follow your dreams no matter how small. Remember, the old man set out first to discover a new pattern for productivity. You need to search for that seed this year. Despite the years it took to get the seeds to sprout, the old man persistently watered the bed. Even when he was mocked, he still returned to water  his seeds. Same with you, people, especially family, might try to discourage you, give you advice that's not in your head. You have a choice to either follow your dreams or let them impose theirs. Have a great week guys!

P.s : Above is a collage picture of my natural hair growth. I chose this picture because it embodies my walk with patience. My natural hair epistle would be on the Biography column soon. Love you all.