#166, Ramnikbhai Barot, Naturalist
We do not stop working because we are old; we grow old because we stop working.
There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy and work satisfaction. You have to laugh and find humour every day. You’ve got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. We have so many people walking around who are dead and don’t even know it! The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no regrets. The elderly usually don’t have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do.
70 year young, Ramjibhai Barot, very famous name, just moved in Rajkot 8 months ago. He used to live in Chalala where he has planted thousands of trees on his own. He has his house named “Vruksh Dev Mandir” has more than 350 trees of all kind like medicinal, herbs, fruits, flowers etc. Many of the schools and colleges arrange student visits to the house. He guides them about the benefits of each plant, plantation and much more. Many respected saints have visited his truly temple like a house.
“I’m planting a tree to teach me to gather strength from my deepest roots”, says Ramjibhai. I am doing this since I was in 3rd standard. I used to bunk schools during the rainy season and plant trees where I feel they are safe to be rooted. I think that the trees are poems that the earth writes upon the sky. I too reciprocate by writing poems but keep them to myself and do not publish them. For me, horror scene is like walking into the streets without trees in it. I make sure there is, at least, one tree in each street. I already have started planting trees in Rajkot streets.
It’s not like big cheese projects of tree ranch on environment day that normally individuals do and disregard trees. It is about planting, watering them, bolster them with manure compost, protect them. I ride the bicycle since more than 60 years and do all my activities on my bicycle riding almost 10kms a day. It keeps me fit and going on. Sometimes I sit along with my tree friends, close my eyes and listen to what they sing with their branches and leaves. It’s a divine song. To be without trees would, in the most literal way, to be without our roots.
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