PLANTING THE TREE OF THE NATION
No Time to Lose
The former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, referring to Lyautey, remarked: “I once asked my gardener to plant a tree. The gardener objected that the tree was slow-growing and would not reach maturity for a hundred years. I replied, ‘In that case there is no time to lose; plant it this afternoon.’” (Address at the University of California, Berkeley, March 23, 1962)
The growth and development of a nation is much the same. It is a long and demanding process that requires steady and substantial effort at both the individual and national levels before the country blossoms and claims the position it deserves among the nations of the world. Yet whenever such a proposal is presented, people quickly object that no one can wait a hundred years for results. The appropriate answer is Kennedy’s: if it will take a century, then we must begin immediately and plant our “tree” without delay.
If a mighty tree needs a hundred years to reach full stature, anyone who hopes to enjoy its shade must be prepared to nurture it with patience and care. If, instead of tending the sapling, people take to the streets shouting slogans in favour of trees or organizing rallies in their name, they will never possess even a single tree, let alone an orchard. Noise cannot produce growth.
The same principle applies to every meaningful endeavour. One cannot hope to own a house merely by making eloquent speeches about the need for one. Words alone cannot raise walls or lay foundations. Likewise, a nation cannot secure strength or stability by attempting to produce miracles in the field of politics alone. In poetry, revolutions may occur with a skilful turn of phrase, and a demagogue may stir large crowds. But these things do not build nations.
Genuine progress arises only through long-term planning, disciplined effort, and the willingness to work quietly for years without seeking quick rewards. This steady labour transforms a weak nation into a strong one. As history shows, the essential virtues for this struggle are patience and fortitude, without which no great endeavour ever reaches completion. q
