‘When salt looses its saltiness…’
Imagine what would happen if suddenly there was a scarcity of salt! It is a fact, although relatively unknown, that salt was once a luxurious good. Only those with influence and affluence and power had it. Once upon a time, salt was so much valued that it was the acceptable legal tender in many different communities round the world. Though the times have changed, salt still weilds so much power and authority over our diets and lifestyles. Salt is synonymous with flavour and taste and without it, the world would be colourless to our instruments to gustation.
Jonathan Swift in his adventure novel, ‘Guilliver’s Travels’ clearly portrayed a scenario resembling what would happen if we were to stop using salt. Guilliver had travelled to a horse tribe and there, salt wasn’t used at all. The amazing thing was that after initial challenges, Guilliver adapted. I believe the same thing would happen if salt should suddenly go scarce. People would adapt!
Salt is naturally salty in taste (of course!), and when it is added to tasteless food, the food adopts the taste and flavour of salt. In the same way, we are meant to influence our environment with the good and positivity we have in us. Now, imagine what would happen if salt is sprinkled in tasteless food and the food still remains tasteless. Salt then has no reason for existence. It is no longer salty and hence lacks the ability to cause taste and flavour. It’s now adopting the tastelessness of the food to which it was added. In the same way, the moment we stop oozing goodness and positivity, we can no longer influence our environment. Instead, we are the ones being influenced by whatever is going on around us.
As I mentioned in ‘Evil’s Open Secret’, the international policy makers and top government officials of the nations of the world are in a state of confusion. Just the same way people would adapt to scarcity of salt, people are adapting to this state of confusion. For example, in Nigeria, corruption, bombings and accidents have become almost a daily occurence on the news reported by the various media houses. However, on the days when there are no stories of bombings or accidents or corruption, the populace say there’s no news. It amazes me how people adapt in just a short period of time because ten years ago, there were no bombings in Nigeria!
The situation we find ourselves in the world today is a dire one. First there is a scarcity of individuals who can be called ‘salts’. The good thing about salt is its power of influence. You don’t need a whole bag of salt to flavour your food. Just a little is enough. However, the few ‘salts’ we have are loosing their saltiness by being the ones influenced by their environment.
In a world that is lacking in positive role models, why not stand your ground and be a person of influence to your environment. Be the positive change you are dying to see in the world. Remember, if you don’t influence your world, the world would adapt and find some use for you.
‘…it is cast out and trodden under the feet of men’
Let me know your thoughts.
