Lessons from a Whatchamacallit Tree

Nyana standing near a whatchamacallit tree at the U.S. National Arboretum.

Taking a walk through the U.S. National Arboretum, we wandered upon a tree of unknown origin – a whatchamacallit one would say. It had beautiful red and round bulbous fruits, and we couldn’t help but marvel and stare. The tree was one of many, and we couldn’t help but wonder, what were they? Us women started to take some guesses as to what the trees could be. We said to ourselves, those look like pomegranates do they not? But we couldn’t quite put our finger on it. We stared at the trees longer, trying to see what other alternatives we could come up with.

Two other women walked by, and from a distance we heard their musings as well. What kind of trees are those they said? They similarly thought they were pomegranate trees. But the man with them declared with such confidence, “no those aren’t pomegranates, those are wild onion trees.” The ladies with him seemed to concur. We ourselves started to doubt our intuition, and figured this man must certainly know what he’s talking about because he said it with such confidence and vigor.

And almost fooled we were. But if you know anything about onions, they grow in the ground, among other things. So, even though he sounded like he knew what he was talking about, his answer just sounded fishy. So, we did what any sane person would do and looked it up. Turns out our intuition was right, and they were pomegranate trees after all.

That day taught us some very valuable lessons, and as women, we are sure to take them to heed:

• Lesson #1 – Trust your gut

  We have instincts for a reason, so it’s important to be in tune with them. If you feel that something is right or wrong, your gut will tell you. It just takes some getting used to listening to it. Trusting your gut also applies to situations that may not be so black and white. For example, in pursuing your dreams you may be unsure that it will work out. But what does your gut tell you? Tune into that mind body connection. Your gut instincts will help you to bring your dreams to fruition. You know what to do already, you just have to have the right mindset for it.

• Lesson #2 – Always fact check

  This one is self-explanatory. Don’t just take someone’s word at face value. Make sure you’re always asking questions to determine what is true and what isn’t. This applies not just with the news, but in everyday situations as well. For example, when making everyday purchases, are you asking questions about how the goods were made? We wrote a few questions to help you with making informed decisions about your food. It’s so important to ask them when making buying decisions.

• Lesson #3 – Go forth with confidence

  Even though that man was 100% wrong, we still believed him for a brief moment. The women with him surely did. And that was the most valuable lesson of all. Even if we are unsure of what we’re saying, say it with confidence anyway. Because confidence can exude expertise, and people are more likely to believe you if you are confident. Too many of us face imposter syndrome and do not believe we are qualified to do the things we are experts at. Now imagine the amazing things we can do if we just speak confidently about the things we know. We can only create magic from there!

So, at the end of the day, the whatchamacallit tree was revealed to be anything but, and we came away with a stronger belief in ourselves and our abilities. We’ll continue living our sauciest lives and go forth with confidence. Now tell us, how will you #BeCamellaSaucy?

Camella’s Kitchen is run by two ladies from Trinidad and Tobago. Based out of Prince George’s County, Maryland, we’re living our sauciest lives by bringing our bold Caribbean flavors to you! How will you #BeCamellaSaucy? Tell us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, or YouTube!