TREASURE

She grew up in a small town. She would run in the mountains, smelling the pine and thyme, as if trying to reach the sky. She'd pick apples straight from the tree and eat grapes right off the vine. In spring, poppies and daisies would bloom, and in fall, the trees would put on a colorful display. She and her friends would pick blackberries and mushrooms in the forest. She’d bring pine cones, rocks, and colorful leaves to her mom. “I found treasure, mom! Keep it!” she’d say. She loved sitting on top of the mulberry tree, looking at the view. In the late afternoon, she and her friends would race to see who could get home first. She loved watching the sunset from the treetops. Winters were tough, with snow sometimes piling up to a meter. The electricity in town would sometimes cut out for days. Looking at the reflection of the stove on the ceiling she’d fall asleep listening to her dad tell her tales. Doing homework by candlelight had just become part of everyday life. Her little cat, Olive, was always curled up in her lap. It would come around during the day and sometimes disappear for days.

She loved cooking something on the old stove. Her favorite was potatoes and onions. Freshly made bread and stuffed flatbreads were also a treat. Whenever someone’s chimney was smoking, she’d go help them make flatbreads. She’d learned how to make them over time and with practice. During the day, she and her friends would play in the backyard, making pots out of clay. Elif had a happy childhood. She was the oldest in a big family, and she knew how to be happy with what she had. None of these memories could be bought with money.

Years later, Elif married Ahmet and became a mom of two. Together, they worked hard and bought a new house. Ahmet worked tirelessly, and Elif supported him in every way. She was a thrifty person, who didn’t like wasting anything at home. She tried to raise her kids the same way. She saw their boredom as an opportunity to get them moving. When they moved into the new house, she gave them small tasks to do.

When they moved in, their family and close relatives helped, and they settled in quickly. Two weeks later, their neighbors sent word: “We’re coming over for a ‘welcome’ visit.” they said.  The house was cleaned, snacks were prepared, and the neighbors arrived. The neighbors were a bit troubled about the site.

They complained about how the train road was in the way of getting to the market. How it made the distance longer and harder for them. They complained about their wallpaper color, the size of their tiles, the kind of kitchen counter, the style of the wardrobe, the fact that their house was four-bedroom instead of five…

Elif listened in surprise and didn’t know what to say.

To Elif, these complaints seemed endless. There would always be something better and more comfortable.  “Am I going to become like this over time?” she thought to herself and felt uneasy. At that moment, she thought about the little town she grew up in, the small house they lived in, and how peaceful it had all been. Then she thought about how happy she felt when they bought this new house. The place they rented before was an old building, about 30 years old. Their old house was a little run-down. When they came to look at this house, Elif really liked it. Aside from a few minor flaws, she thought the house was beautiful.

The Experimental Design Teaching says: “As the things that satisfy us increase, our ability to enjoy them decreases. People quickly get used to what they’re given and they start wanting more.”

So, what is it that really satisfies people in life? Is it simply things?

One weekend, they went to the forest as a family to explore nature. They packed a picnic basket with what they had at home. Her son, Emir, brought some acorns and pine cones he had collected from the forest. He was as happy as if he’d found a treasure. When Elif saw them, she went back in time and felt a rush of emotion. “You have found a treasure, Emir!” she said. Emir replied, “Yes, mommy. Look, there’s more!”. Then he smiled and added, “There’s even more!” as he ran back into the forest.

Who knows what else there was to discover?

There will always be “more” in life. The key is to keep learning, discovering, and adding to that “more.”

To many more discoveries and lessons ahead...

 

 Experiential Design Teaching is a knowledge community that produces strategies for designing our future based on past experiences.

The "Who is Who", "Mastery in Relationships" and "Success Psychology" Seminar Programs offer the needed methods for those who want to be happy and successful in life by solving their problems and achieving their goals.

"There is only one thing in life that never can be discovered; The better one..."

Yahya Hamurcu