Once upon a time in a land far far away, lived a gardener with beautiful gardens of fruit trees, vegetables, and flowers.
Each of the living things played a role in the overall health and beauty of the gardens. Some were for shade, some were for attracting bees, most for feeding the community and all for the employ and betterment of the world around them.
Once the crop was planted and the sun came out, Farmer Brown started to think about things other than the gardens. She thought about her golf game and a barbeque with her friends. She thought about vacation and perhaps a few days off the farm.
She had put the repairs of the machinery out of her mind and the upgrades that needed to happen with the technology in the sprinkler system as she was being distracted by the world around her.
After a few days, when walking by the garden to get to her truck, she overheard a conversation among some of the plants in the garden. "She hasn't noticed that crabgrass is popping up along the edges of the garden". And the tail end of another conversation where she overheard "The mint and chives are trying to take over and if they do we will all suffer".
Farmer Brown dismissed these things she had heard and went to the club for lunch with her neighbouring farmer friends. They all talked crops and profits, while her mind wandered off to places unknown and to her golf score. Soon enough the other farmers said they had to get back to work and off they went.
Farmer Brown went to Golf Town and bought a new driver and then went to the club and booked some extra lessons. She was really improving her handicap and didn't want to let up on it.
The next couple of days were really rainy so Farmer Brown stayed inside, watched a couple of movies and made plans for the weekend.
Before you knew it, it was Friday and she walked to the garden, where she was surprised to see how toxic that crabgrass had become and how far it had spread. She took a cursory cut to the crabgrass, telling it that it had no business growing in her garden and carried on her merry way.
The garden was suffering. Where there had been productivity and a healthy climate, there were now weeds in the mix who were always grumbling and complaining. The mint and the chives were taking over the place with the crabgrass and they seemed to be having a heyday. The crops were unable to thrive and grow. They needed Farmer Brown to come back and take a stand for the fruits and vegetable that were to feed the community.
Farmer Brown was having a great summer. Every time she showed up anywhere in town, the other farmers that saw her wondered how she looked so tanned and relaxed while they were working their fingers to the bone, ensuring a healthy profit and taking care of the community. It wasn't long before the rumours started to fly.
One day Farmer Ali decided to stop by the Brown Farm to say hello and to make sure Farmer Brown was ok. To her shock, she saw that the gardens and crops were suffering, the equipment was rusting on the sidelines and the weeks and crabgrass had taken over.
Farmer Brown was nowhere to be found. In an effort to help save the Brown farm, Farmer Ali left a note, asking Farmer Brown to call and she would come over to help try to save the crop. Farmer Ali did not hear from Farmer Brown.
Sadly, by the end of the summer, the crop had failed, there were no survivors in the gardens.
What is the moral of the story?
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