I am willing to see things differently

 Every good ancestor that we know of lived through their own times such as these (actually, much worse), and yet they kept moving forward. Layla Saad

I started growing a garden outside of the flat in which I now live. I live within a compound which include other flats and townhouses. The garden became a problem because  the committee decided that the it broke the rules as to what common areas must look like and was quite ugly. Common areas should be pretty and preferably lawn grass.

The garden  includes sweet potatoes, lemon grass, corn, pawpaw's, pumpkin and kale. Within a small area close to the car garage.

When I was told of the confusion that this garden caused, immediately I felt a combination of anger, fear and helplessness. How dare they call it ugly and want to destroy it?

To hear that the garden was breaking the rules, ugly and will or must be dug up, I felt livid and a tad but hurt.

I refused to do anything, including dig it up or cease and desist. Days passed. This morning as I was out on the porch doing some  journal writing I saw two men approached and was walking through the garden, naturally I asked them what were they doing.

One of the men mentioned that he is running an electrical cable and has to destroy a part of the garden to get this done. I immediately started asking him questions. He told me that he was following instructions from the Committee to go ahead and destroy the garden to install the electric cable.

After our conversation he left followed by a visit from a representative from the Committee who made it clear that on common property I have no rights, that the garden was ugly and that to please cease and desist.

I was about to get into a heated discussion then I thought to myself:

Are you attached to the way this garden is grown? 

Are you wanting peace or to be right?

Have you aired your views and made it clear?

After considering all of that I walked away.

I will continue to grow my garden, I will continue to speak up, I will continue to remember not to take things personally, people have their own reasons and rationales for their behavior. I will continue to respond in a way which shows the lessons that I have learnt over the years.

I will continue to be willing to look at things differently.

Living in a space where respect and clear communication is missing is an opportunity to ask myself - how do I want to live?

How do I want to spend my time?

How do I want to engage in community building and living?

It is definitely something to ponder on

Peace