Every morning I go for a walk around the neighborhood to enjoy the freshness of nature. The cool morning breeze, the chirping of birds, the glistening dew on the grass, the pollution free air and the absence of traffic noise make the walk even more pleasant.
I usually walk around the neighborhood but yesterday I decided to go for a walk at a nearby jogging park. It’s a huge park, greenery galore with jogging tracks. Groups of people are seen around exercising and inhaling oxygen rich air.
The open gates and the perfectly lined symmetrical shrubs along the sides of the path made me feel like a king walking on the red carpet, entering the world of happiness and peace. I took a deep breath, puffing my lungs with purity and proudly walked along the path. I walked for about half an hour and decided to relax. I spotted a nearby bench and sat on it with my head resting on the top of the bench, looking straight up. The bench was located right under a huge tree. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to drift into the world of imagination.
Moments passed by and suddenly I heard a hoarse voice saying “Hello!”
I looked behind and saw no one there. I looked around and there was no trace of any human being within talkable distance. Once again I heard the same voice, this time being louder. I got a chilling sensation as I failed yet again to locate the source.
“Psst…up here!” said the voice again.
I looked up with wide open eyes and sawtwo big eyes, a crooked nose and a large mouth protruding from the trunk of the tree which was just behind the bench. I was speechless and looked in amazement with an open mouth. I rubbed my eyes again and again but nothing changed.
The lips on the tree moved once again I heard the voice. It said, “Hey buddy, don’t worry I am just a tree. I just want to ask you a question.”
I gained my senses and replied, “Sure, I will try to answer your question”. I smiled nervously after I finished talking. The eyes on the tree looked down at me as I waited eagerly for the question.
“Well, my question is very simple yet puzzling. Why do you humans cut trees? “, the tree asked innocently.
I was completely dumbfounded by the question and avoided eye contact with the tree as I was embarrassed. Before I could think of an answer, the tree added,
“Don’t we provide you shade from the blazing sun? Don’t we provide you with food in the form of fruits and vegetables? Still you cut us down and uproot us from the earth. WHY? WHY? WHY?”
I was stunned by this sudden outburst. I felt as if I was standing in a courtroom, guilty of committing a crime. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and lowered my head in shame. After a brief moment of silence, I regained my composure and replied,
“Dear tree, I represent the human race and I plead guilty for the crime we have been committing since ages. We humans always think about our own benefits and in the process of achieving success and greatness, we tend to overlook the emotions and feelings of other living entities. As a representative of the human race I can only apologize on their behalf. As an individual, I vow to generate awareness among fellow human beings to stop the cutting and uprooting of trees.”
I felt much lighter after I finished my answer. As I lifted my head once again to look at the tree, strong winds started to blow. Everything around me began to fade. The environment became hazy. I sensed someone patting on my shoulder.
Suddenly, the haziness was substituted by the sight of an old man. He was smiling and his hand was on my shoulder. “Are you all right young man?”, he asked.
I realized that I had fallen asleep and the conversation with the tree happened in my dreams. My breathing was heavy and I tried to relax myself. I thanked the old man for being concerned about me and realized that I was back in the world of reality.
I got up from the bench and looked over at the tree. The branches and leaves of the tree started to rustle as the wind blew. Did the rustling symbolize satisfaction from my answer or did it symbolize anger? The ambiguity was to remain a mystery forever. I recalled the conversation with the tree and went closer to the trunk and hugged it. A positive vibe took over my mind and I could feel the liveliness of the tree. After a few seconds, I parted from the tree and walked towards home with the guilt off my mind as an individual!
Thereafter, I followed the motto:
Save the trees, stop the cutting sprees!!!
