No haste in life: Lessons from the first ripe mango fruits

I visited my friend on his cashew farm at Goka.

Along the way, I spotted many mango trees. The mango trees had unripe mango fruits on them. I knew it'll be ripe for consumption in few days or weeks' time.

Within a short distance from the unripe mangoes, I passed under one mango tree, I saw some ripe mango fruits scattered under it. I also saw visible signs of sticks and stones thrown at the tree, apparently by kids who in a rush, competing to taste the first mango fruit in its season.

My love for fruits tempted me to bend and pick one of the succulents looking tropical fruits to satisfy my cravings.

My inner thoughts compelled me to look at the mango tree that has provided the first ripe fruits. To my dismay, I noticed that the farmer set fire to the mango tree in an attempt to kill it, to allow adequate air on the farm that will aid the growth of the highly-priced cashew cash crop.

With disappointment drawn all over my face, I threw the 'by force' ripe mango fruits away, and suddenly had a moral lesson from the experience.

I realised that when mango trees are burnt and do not die totally, the fruits it bears rip faster than those without fire set to them.

The same can be likened to human life. Do not be envious of those that have hurriedly jumped ahead of you in life. You are not in competition with them.

They may be the mango trees that were half burnt by the farmer. They produce the first ripe fruits. Inexperienced people, kids throw stones and sticks for their fruits. But their fruits are unwholesome, not healthy for human consumption. Those that eat their fruits will regret later. Sickness and death await them.

You are the fresh mango tree, take your time, your fruits will be ripe in time, your wholesome fruits will be appetising, and you will free many souls from hunger and cravings.

It pays to exercise patience, take time and train yourself for a better tomorrow. Opportunity will always meet the prepared. No need to rush in life. Haste leads to failure. The hasteful man always cries: 'had I known.' But 'had I known' never comes first.

My native Bono people say: 'mehunu yɛ anka, nanso na aka akyi.'