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The Dream of the Fig Tree

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The Dream of the Fig Tree

Mid Week Musings #297

Alan Jones PhD FRSA
Mar 15
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The Dream of the Fig Tree

www.alanjones.blog
green leaf plant during daytime
Photo by Jametlene Reskp on Unsplash

The Story of the Fig Tree (From “The Bell Jar”, by Sylvia Plath)

I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree in the story. From the tip of every branch, like a fat purple fig, a wonderful future beckoned and winked.

One fig was a husband and a happy home and children, and another fig was a famous poet and another fig was a brilliant professor, and another fig was Ee Gee, the amazing editor, and another fig was Europe and Africa and South America, and another fig was Constantin and Socrates and Attila and a pack of other lovers with queer names and offbeat professions, and another fig was an Olympic lady crew champion, and beyond and above these figs were many more figs I couldn't quite make out.

I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn't make up my mind which of the figs I would choose.

I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest, and, as I sat there, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet.

Moral of the story:

Decide! Take action.

There’s no right or wrong answer when you’re choosing between two positive routes or outcomes. Wait too long and the decision will be made for you.

Alan /|\

www.elynbres.com

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The Dream of the Fig Tree

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2 Comments
Hamish McLay
Mar 15

It is all too easy to ponder for too long. I don't intend spending time thinking about it, however it would ne fascinating to know how many dried up figs I have littered behind me. Best I developed a dried fig reduction plan...........

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