The Parable of the Tomato

Just a few thoughts on how life really works.

 

One day a tomato wakes up and realizes it’s sitting in bullshit. It’s smelly, looks awful and is squishy. This, the tomato finds depressing. So it starts looking around, growing over there and over here, but try as it might, everywhere it looks there is more bullshit. The whole world is BS.

 

Now the tomato is suicidal and starts making up its own bullshit. I had bad parents and didn’t go to the right schools.  I’m no good. I’m not pretty and my health is bad. Eventually the tomato realizes that it is now contributing to the bullshit world and decides to add a dramatic touch. No one will ever love me. Look at this pile of s**t I’m in. Nothing I do ever turns out right.

 

Then the tomato figures out that making up s**t can be interesting. So as long as it’s making up s**t it might as well make up some good s**t too. So the tomato starts talking about how its s**t is rich and thick and warm. It has learned lots from all of the s**t it’s been through, and at least its s**t grows some tasty tomatoes. Again the tomato begins to manifest exactly what it is talking about.

 

Now this tomato is a little more observant than your average tomato and wonders what would happen if it started to consciously choose the kind of bullshit it feeds on. So, I invite you to come try some of my bullshit. My s**t will warm you up; it will bring a smile to your face. My s**t will make you laugh and maybe even bring you a friend. My s**t don’t stink and if you use it yours won’t stink either.

 

And that’s how transformation happens.

Reviews

[Wanda S. Paryla]

The title alone is catchy!!! This tale actually reminds me of one of my family members who loves to make her own s**t - mostly dramatic and negative s**t... Oh, she's such a talking tomato head. A great and well-written analogy here. Not to mention bold and right to the point. This is rich, rich, rich!

"...looks aweful and is squishy"

What a clever write!

[HoorayForUnderdog]

Holy Crapola this is one Non-Stinking S**t-Kicking Parable!

[Pj]

This is soo cool! Such depth and a wonderful choice of analogy!
Loving this lots- greatly penned

[Susan S.]

Normally I don't like anthropomorphizing vegetation, but I couldn't stop laughing all the way through this. When you started in about how it's s**t don't stink, I nearly fell off the chair! Very well done. I believe I found one mistake: every where is one word, not two.

And may I point out, the world really IS made up of BS. :))
Thank you.
Susan S.

[free2bee]

Oh, my, God, this was just what I needed to read. I will remember this every time I start to feel sorry for myself or if I'm feeling too full of myself. You have a gift for satire, really great wit.Thanks for writing this, I will be passing this on.

[Becca]

How funny! I will use this parable profusely.
Can't change my employment situation as of yet...but I can sure decide which pile I want to be in...
Thanks for providing me a great mental escape!

[Dizzy-Izzy]

I like the bullshit in your garden of life Dianne. This was great, thank you.

"The one thing you can't take away from me is the way I choose to respond to what you do to me. The last of one's freedoms is to choose ones attitude in any given circumstance." - Viktor Frankl

Have a great day
from Kristina-witha-K

[Jake Donald Stephens]

Oh, man....Jesus never told a parable quite like this one....but I have to say, it's brilliant. Good work.

[Your Tasty Field Adviso..]

lol, this story is very great. i love it. it is so funny. how did you come up with something like that? i love the subject matter that you decided to write on. also, i love the style you wrote it in. very great. i love it.

[J-Boo]

Very enjoyable, and I think it strikes close to home for anyone who reads it. You have found a very satisfying way to say what most people probably feel. As far as suggestions for the story, though, I think I would stick to referring to the tomato than switching to his perspective here and there. For example,

"Now the tomato is suicidal and starts making up its own bullshit. I had bad parents and didn't go to the right schools. I'm no good. I'm not pretty and my health is bad."

You could also just put the tomato's thoughts in quotes or italicize them, but I think I prefer it better to continue in the vein you begin with, like: "Now the tomato is suicidal and starts making up its own bullshit: the tomato had bad parents and didn't go to the right schools..." etc.

I love parables, and this is a great on that really hones in on a matter that touches everybody these days.

[Forest Green]

Out here in Pennsylvania we have mushroom 'farms' all over. The saying goes that in corporate life many times you're treated like a mushroom: Kept in the dark and fed bullshit all day long.

Your poem reminded me of that saying...perhaps your familiar with it as well, but living where they grow them brings it home a little stronger (no pun intended).

Original work, Dianne.

Daniel