One of the major differences between plants and human
beings would be human’s ability to feel and fall in love. That’s why when we
meet someone who seems to have no feelings at all or someone who is heartless,
we call them (or they claim to be) plants – in Filipino, halaman.
… … …
I personally claim to be a plant for a while now. The emotional
aspect of my persona hasn’t been touched for a long time – not until recently. When
my family or my friends ask me about my love life, I just say “eto self-sustaining pa rin” or “halaman ako eh”
just to stop them from digging deeper, especially when they start to get
nosier.
Just like a plant, I tend to survive with nothing but
the sunlight and water – just kidding, of course I eat real human food, and lots
of it. I mean when it comes to my feelings, which is rather inconsistent and
annoying sometimes, I don’t focus on feeding it too much with love. I’d rather
focus on other aspects of my life such as how to pay my bills, how to get by
tonight, and other practical stuff like those. However, recently I felt
something weird in the cavity between my lungs which I have always thought to
be an empty space.
… … …
What do humans and trees have in common? Besides the
fact that they are both living things, one of their goals is “to bear fruit”. Trees
do this, in the literal sense, when they are well developed and have matured
enough. A human does this by also maturing; by gaining enough knowledge about
life, by settling down, by learning how to balance work and play, by falling in
love.
… … …
I have found out about the human heart that beats
within me, one that doesn’t just beat to pump blood through my veins but to
feel a different feeling my “tree-self” could not comprehend. This tree has
finally started to feel a certain feeling that crosses the border between being
human and being a plant. I’m a human tree, a tree that bears a beating feeling human
heart. And this discovery has left my whole being shaken (in a good sense).
Probably the shortest way to say what I am right now
is, “I am happy.” That’s a good thing, right? I finally found something[one]
that makes me happy. Maybe soon enough, when this fruit has ripened, I would be
able to complete the transition from being a halaman to a loving creature; a human being for sure.
