Inadequacy: The Cassava Plant of Life

“It still feels, looks and smells like home” she said.

After twenty-five years of living in Canada, my new bride and I were back on these magnificent islands of Fiji for our honeymoon visiting the place she was born.

As we drove the long road to our hotel, I asked her about the things she had missed. “Young green coconut,” she said followed by a description that made my mouth water. Almost tasting the imaginary green coconut, I asked, “Anything else?” What she said next sounded a lot less appetizing, but clearly had wonderful memories for my bride: “Oh yeah, I really missed fresh caught fish and boiled cassava.”

Are you familiar with the cassava plant? It’s a root that is commonly eaten in South America and other tropical countries. In fact, it provides the basic diet for more than half a billion people. However, if eaten raw, a single serving can cause death within a few hours. It’s only after an extensive preparation process and careful cooking can it be safely eaten.

Inadequacy is like a cassava plant. If you try to swallow it without examination, it is a deadly poison.