The Insanity of Individualism

The Cherry Tree Epiphany

I was walking my daughter home from daycare yesterday. It was a beautiful day — not a cloud in the sky, perfectly warm but not hot. As we passed a house with a stunning, huge cherry tree in the front yard, I noticed a self-made sign tacked to its trunk. In bold felt marker, someone had written: “Do not pick cherries from the tree!!!”

Looking up, in mid-July no less, I saw that over half the beautiful globes of fruit had already rotted away. This house is about half a block from an elementary school. It made me sad to think the homeowner would rather let the fruit rot than have it enjoyed by passing neighbours and kids on their way home from school.

Before you bite my head off, I get that there might be a whole lot more to the story. But honestly, if it were my house, I would’ve left a step stool and some baggies so passersby could help themselves to delicious fresh fruit on their merry way. Growing up with many fruit trees, I know firsthand that no one family can consume all the fruit, and it was never the goal in my family to hoard it all.

Sharing is caring.

Have we forgotten how to share as a society? Even simple things — like getting to know your neighbour, or inviting them over when you’re hosting an event, just to include them if they…