The Red Banana: A Lesson on Purpose and Letting Go
Lately, I have been eating red bananas, which my doctor recommended for certain gut-related health benefits. I take one nightly, about
an hour after finishing my dinner. I usually eat the fruit in my bedroom and
place the peel in the corner, disposing of it the next morning.
Recently, while disposing of a peel, I noticed something different. The red skin was no longer red; it had turned almost black. I wondered why this happens and discovered a lengthy scientific process behind it. In short, it’s caused by oxidation and a shift in pigment production, triggered by trauma (like removing the fruit from the plant) and exposure to ethylene gas.
This reading during my regular walk not only educated me about the blackening of banana skin but also triggered an analogy about life. Before explaining the analogy, let’s understand a little more about the banana itself.
When you buy a red banana, the skin stays red for a few days. If it’s not eaten within a certain time, the skin darkens—though not completely black—and the fruit inside may become tastier but also soggier.
I see a connection between the red banana and life. The banana's skin protects the fruit, keeping it fresh and providing the right nutrients. Once the fruit is consumed, the skin is no longer needed, and it fades away.
In the same way, our lives are like that banana. We must live with purpose—a purpose that has meaning for us and for others. Once our purpose is fulfilled, we need not worry too much about ourselves. We should accept our physical fading, much like the fading of the banana skin.
Although the banana skin has no choice in how quickly it fades—that depends on how fast the fruit is eaten—the irony is that we do have a choice. We can choose whether to cling to our physical form or to fade gracefully, as long as we fulfil our purpose
M.L.
Narendra Kumar
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