Why Reeds are Hollow : A Tale of Equality & Beauty

"In diversity there is beauty and there is strength" - Maya Angelou

In the world of plants, a tale unfolds – a rebellious tale led by the reeds advocating in favor of equality on the basis of height. The wind spread the message far and wide. What happened then? Total chaos. One night, the shorter plants grew dozens of feet. People and animals were frightened and confused. A month passes and a decline sets in due to the unnatural height of most plants. Some die out, some break, some droop to the earth, insects can’t reach the tall blossoms to fertilize them. But the reeds didn’t seem to care. Until one day, nature clapped back. The reeds deteriorated from excess humidity at the roots and drying out entirely from the inside. In reaching upward, they had become hollow.

At the heart of this parable lie two fundamental principles- the pursuit of beauty and the demand for equality. The reeds’ insistence on uniformity stems from the desire to eliminate hierarchy and ensure fairness among all plants. This however was marred by fundamental misunderstanding- blindness to the inherent beauty of diversity. For what makes the world of plants truly magical is their splendid variety- the towering oaks, the delicate roses, the sprawling vines, all swaying as if dancing to their own music.

The story reminds us that not all forms of equality are beneficial or sustainable. The reeds’ insistence on uniform height leads to chaos and disrupting the natural harmony, overlooking the unique needs and characteristics of each plant ultimately causing harm to themselves and others. It challenges us to reevaluate our preconceived notions and recognize the value of differences and complexity. Beauty without originality is nothing but an imitation. Like copying someone else’s painting because it was beautiful.

Is beauty synonymous with uniformity, aligning to rigid standards or ideals as the reeds would have us believe? Or does beauty lie in the vast diversity around us, in the kaleidoscope of forms, shapes and colors that adorn the natural world? In our quest for equality do we risk sacrificing the beauty of diversity? But at the same time, can true equality exist without an appreciation for unique qualities and characteristics that define each of us?

The story of hollow reeds serves as an example that true beauty flourishes in diversity and that true equality embraces the uniqueness of each individual. Trying to force equality without honoring the uniqueness just leaves us with an empty echo, lacking in real beauty and depth. We need to honor and celebrate the rich tapestry of diversity around us - embrace the beauty that lies within our differences.

Comments

EYES TELL

Yes, they do. I know because I look into yours too. When they melt into a smile pure, Creasing to depths of eternal bliss, A breathtaking-view for a gaze, yet amiss. A smile so contagious , it fills me up. Fills my bubble of dreams and love. Trapping me in a light-show, bedazzled for sure. With light, one would search for eons to glow. A crisp of crust on the pizza side. Flashing lights on a dreary night. I reached out. And every single time. Your eyes came to mind. Or when left estranged for too long. I saw and knew it all along. Every time you passed me by. I peer into your sombre eyes. Calling me out without a cry. An illusion of bars, stands in front of me. Like mirrors, shattering my soul in fleet. And when I see my face through you, I promise I could feel it too. The pain, the laugh. The sorrow, the gloom. The joy, the dark, I’ll share it with you.

Together, but still Apart

Some relationships don’t end with a fight, or fade with distance. They simply exist in a strange in-between—where two people meet, talk, laugh, even care… yet never truly belong to each other. This piece comes from that quiet space. It’s about a connection that looked like togetherness from the outside, but felt incomplete within. About moments that felt real, yet never rooted enough to last. There was closeness, but no certainty; affection, but no claim. A story where neither person was wrong—just never fully right for each other. And then there comes the saying : “Ranjish hi sahi, dil hi dukhane ke liye aa, Aa phir se mujhe chhod ke jaane ke liye aa.” कि तुझसे मिलके भी हम जुदा से रहे साथ होके भी हम क़फ़ा से रहे दिल का फ़साना तो कुछ यूँ है कि हम कुछ कह न सके हम साथ थे पर मंज़िलें अलग थीं बातें थीं पर ख़ामोशियाँ ज़्यादा थीं| तेरी हर बेवफ़ाई को यूँ हम सहते रहे कि फिर पता लगा कि उन्हें हमसे मोहब्बत थी ही नहीं और शायद कभी हो भी न फिर भी ये चाहत का फ़साना था बड़ा ख़ूबसूरत कि ल...

approximation errors of life

I just woke up from a fever dream and it dawned on me that the dream lasted too long and hasn’t been that long since I arrived. Does time move differently in dreams, with different experiences, does it relapse, can it not be stuck in a loop of my favorite childhood memory? I wake up with these questions, and I don’t quite know when is the right time to ask questions and when is the right time to answer them. The timing is important you see, when you choose to change the curve and when you accept the flow, it makes all the difference. Also, pardon my casual language, I just woke up from a fever dream. I think about existentialism and how the originality of human experiences causes self-alienation and how lonely the suffering can be ( yet I never wished any suffering on you ). I’m not a philosopher, educator, or a liberal arts student wandering and wondering about the technicalities of life ( i don’t know who the addressee is ), however, I still believe the originality of human e...

Janus

I spoke, waiting for the prize, like the ace of spades in a deck, like the sky beautifully bruised at sunset, like snowflakes melting on warm cheeks, like pages foxed by hands that loved them, like stars dazzling beneath devoted eyes, like a girl waiting to be proved guilty for a crime she never did. I kept waiting. What did I become? Nothing really. Just the joker, facing his own, in a crowd of fifty-two. Just the sea, feared most by the setting sun after performing his romantic show. Just the snow-laden canopies of a winter evening, hiding behind the endless white. The crooked corner of a once-read page, which absorbed the touch of love or rage. The vast night sky, nothing without her stars, forgotten because of the speeding cars. I knew what I was from the very start, and I spoke too soon, but was never heard. Never the showman, always the show, selling bodies, pitching for unburnt souls, just to hide from him who saw all. And then; then the earth turned, nights folded into mornings...

GHOST VALEDICTORIAN

I think about ghosts a lot. Not the conjuring, biblical Hollywood crap, the quiet ones lingering in my room. Sitting at my bedside, hoping I'd take my antidepressants today and staring at myself in the mirror while I apply concealer to the eyes that haven't known peace in twelve years. Quietly watching my new clothes with tags still on, bought in the desperate hope of finally stepping out of my bed and staring at the toothbrush I haven't picked up for two days in a row. Living beneath the scars on my arms, on the days they ooze with blood, on the days they seem like distant memories. I often romanticise the morning after I kill myself, hoping, praying to wake up as one of them. To finally exist freely. To fulfil my lifelong dream of being invisible. I will probably die with an open tab of JavaScript tutorials and unsolved LeetCode problems. That's a miserable way to die. Underachiever. Failure. Just not good enough. I wish I could go back in time and be her again, th...

CAMERA

CAMERA (AI machine which sees a therapy session between a human and a machine) In the dim lit room adorned with abstract digital artistry I, the unassuming camera find myself in the peculiar position of witnessing a therapy room buzzing with neurotic energy where ones and zeroes spill their digital beans and where even the most complex algorithm have their mental breakdown and in the hot seat we have none other than our dear friend AI, yes, the very AI that keeps your life in check, are seeking solace why, you ask? Well, buckle up, because it seems even the most sophisticated lines of code can’t escape the pitfall of the modern world. As I zoom in, we find AI sitting there, wires in a twist, a pixel out of place, and a distinct ‘404 error’ expression on its virtual face. You see once a confident and omnipotent entity, has found itself lost in a whirlwind of updates, patches, and upgrades. Every time it thought it has finally mastered the art of human-like conversation, bam...

GUIDE 101: HOW TO NOT END UP ON THE TAPES.

The HANNAH BAKER way. Inspired from the book- Thirteen Reasons Why.   Has there ever been a person you liked so much but the only thing you could ever do for the sake of Lord is talk to them. Even if it was a simple light-hearted conversation, the best you could do was to drop in a little ‘hello, how are you’. Why? Because liking someone means liking their particular trait which you wish you possessed before. It could be anything - personality, looks, smartness anything that makes them unique in your eyes. And starting a conversation with this cool version of your built-up perspective requires real courage. We all are always waiting. Waiting for someone to know us, understand us and believe us like no one ever could before. Unfortunately, this turns out to be one difficult task especially in a world where trust comes at a high cost. Those who do find this ‘trust’ in this world are rare and have fortunately hit the jackpot of fate. And before you know...

THY ELOQUENCE

Search This Blog