“DOES MONEY GROW ON TREES?” OWL’S THOUGHTS ON MONEY & LIFE

NO wise man has ever said “Focus On The Reward, Not The Journey”.
So, Owl decided to focus on the “End reward not the journey”.

Every single time owl asks his mother for money, she just like any responsible mother, sarcastically replies him that “money does not grow on tree”! But this time owl strongly protested as it was a reward for behaving well in the last family gathering as promised by his mother. But now she is turning back on her own words. He paid extra attention that day to his behaviour in public and resisted himself not to do any villainy. Sacrificing a day for a handsome reward seemed to him as something quite lucrative so he took this venture. What is more interesting is that he almost went against his very nature to keep this good façade up only for the ‘end reward’.

NO wise men ever said that “Focus on the reward, not the Journey”. So owl’s motto has always been very clear to him anyway. “Focusing on the end reward because if the reward looks promising then the difficult journey would become a bitter-sweet memory’! Most importantly, he is not also someone to listen to the wise men anyway.

Owl’s Motto “Focus On The Reward, Not The Journey”.

“Owl’s Reflection On Life”

At this, my Mother started behaving like a govt. tax official. She wanted every record of how I had spent the money she gave me yesterday and also in the past, going as far as the moment of my birth! Sad and disappointed, I took a deep breath knowing very well that there was no escape from this bitter trial. Considering the fact that my present and future financial security would be in grave danger, with a heavy heart, I confessed everything.

After knowing that I have again spent the money in the most useless thing one can possibly imagine, mother got furious. Then along with a long rebuke she warned me that she would complain to Father if I don’t control my urges for useless and irresponsible expenditure. Instantly calculating the risk of my future credit worthiness I decided to leave the situation and ran away fast.

Instantly there was an air of me feeling of being a Richie rich but I humbled myself after many great wise men’s advice regarding the futile pursuance of materialistic life.

As I sat on the front porch of our house, I reflected upon my Mother’s words –“Money doesn’t grow on trees”. I weighed and pondered about the possibility of having a ‘money-tree’ in my possession. Umm, what if money does grow on trees? Then I started thinking of how it would be like to have a few money-trees in our house. I would be the owner and use it however I like.

I noticed the lush green Deodar trees lined up in front of our house. After deciding it I surveyed the whole area inside the boundary wall and started counting the number of trees we have. After counting I realized that I would be super rich. Instantly there was an air of me feeling of being a Richie rich but I humbled myself. After all many great wise men’s advised regarding futile pursuance of materialistic life. So, I asked my brain to wrap my materialistic urge under some moral conscience. I also convince myself to feel good about it so that I can escape from being feeling guilty.

As a matter of fact, not only monetary benefits that we get but also environmental benefits for all humankind just like my teacher told us in our last environment class in school! (Rich- as trees truly make us rich. It is a natural resource and rightly called so. The more trees you have the more rich you are! Oxygen the very essential thing and owl breaths it all the time.) Thus, I wrapped and hid my honest materialistic urges under a noble intention for the world to see.

Meanwhile my imaginations ran wild and I started building my castle in the air. I imagined myself plucking a leaf from the tree and going to the small shop nearby to buy a candy and also distribute them among my friends excluding my enemies. Suddenly, a fear gripped my heart. I thought to myself ‘how do I protect my wealth from thievery’. Although the brick wall was covering the trees, it was not enough. I didn’t trust those local boys. Other worry was the season of fall resulting my money to disappear. But at the same time it eased my heart knowing that it would grow again and I let my heart take comfort in becoming rich again.

Coincidentally, I remembered that my father keeps the big CFL lights turned on the whole night as a secondary security measure to protect our car from getting theft. It greatly consoled my little heart and helped my anxiety to disappear as my money is under my father’s protection. My money-trees would be protected automatically along with his car if the lights are kept turned on all night long!! During the daytime, I can protect my wealth myself.

At times I let those kids take part in money plucking as we were buying and selling things using the tree leaves. We used those as money and paid using them to the kid who had been playing a merchant’s role. The truth is that we copied it from the farmers and vegetable seller in the local market. They were always taking out a little bundle of notes after supplying the bulk goods. We tried to do the same and this money business went on for few days.

The influence of real paper money was so deep that I conveniently forgot about even the noble environmental richness of the money-leaves….

But, soon the lure of real money own me over. It was the moment of the first opening day of my school (after the holidays). My mother handed me over some money on my way to school. The influence of real paper money was so deep that I conveniently forgot about even the noble environmental richness of the money-leaves. I let my mother throw the plucked dried leaves outside. I also changed my opinion saying “those are child’s plaything only. Also now I’m a grown up man who needs real money to survive in this real world”.

Then once again I indulged myself into those sweet, little, trivial, useless purchases to my heart’s content. Sigh!

THE END