Chapter 10 — Rotten Tomatoes
Some lessons enter your ears.
Some enter your mind.
And a rare few
enter your soul
and stay there for life.
This is one such lesson.
Throughout life, certain words, stories, and experiences remain etched in memory. They quietly guide our choices, shape our responses, and influence our character.
One such lesson was given to me by my schoolteacher many years ago.
He said:
“Remember this lesson, my son.
It will make you the man you will one day be proud of.”
Those words have stayed with me.
They return to me even today—especially as I reflect on the meaning of being truly “Proud of My Greys.”
This lesson was taught through a simple story.
A junior school teacher once asked her students to bring tomatoes to school in a plastic bag.
Each tomato had to be labeled with the name of a person the child disliked.
The number of tomatoes depended on how many people each student hated.
On the assigned day, the children arrived.
Some carried two tomatoes.
Some carried three.
Some carried five or more.
Each bag told its own story.
The teacher then gave a strange instruction.
The children were told to carry these tomatoes with them everywhere they went—for one full week.
To class.
To play.
To home.
To bed.
Everywhere.
As the days passed, complaints began.
“The smell is horrible.”
“The bag is too heavy.”
“It’s uncomfortable.”
“It’s unbearable.”
Those with more tomatoes suffered the most.
After a week, the teacher asked:
“How did you feel carrying them?”
The children responded immediately.
“It smelled.”
“It was heavy.”
“It was irritating.”
“It was exhausting.”
Then the teacher explained.
“This is exactly what happens when you carry hatred in your heart.”
“Every person you dislike, every grudge you hold, every resentment you keep is like a rotten tomato.”
“You carry it everywhere.”
“Hatred makes the heart unhealthy.”
“If you cannot tolerate the smell for one week,
imagine what it does to you when you carry it for a lifetime.”
The teacher continued:
“The heart is like a garden. It must be cleaned regularly.”
“Remove the weeds. Make space for flowers.”
“Forgive those who have hurt you.”
“Only then can good things grow.”
This simple story revealed a profound truth.
The heart and mind react quickly.
They hold on to pain.
They remember insults.
They store anger.
But when the soul is allowed to lead, it chooses peace.
It chooses forgiveness. It chooses freedom.
Letting go is not weakness.
It is wisdom.
Holding on to hatred does not punish others.
It punishes you.
Forgiveness releases the burden.
It lightens the spirit.
It heals the heart.
It restores balance.
This is how the soul rises above emotion.
Do not carry rotten tomatoes in your heart.
Release resentment.
Clean your inner garden.
Make space for peace.
Life becomes lighter, when you travel without emotional baggage.
Forgive.
Heal.
Grow.
And live blessed.
