It is interesting to look into the history of the humble fig it is recognised by pagans and religious groups, referenced in Greek and Roman Mythology, the Bible and by Buddha.It has been thought of as the tree of life, and the common thread through all of these writings seems to be that the fig tree symbolises:-
Abundance ~ Prosperity ~ Security
My earliest memories of a fig tree were from before I went to school, we had a graceful old fig tree which hung over the fence by our yards where we would muster the sheep into or break horses. The fig was a good source for a quick snack on the run, shade from the hot Hokianga sun, and a great tree to climb in to escape from the work at hand. Having had parents who loved trees and plants, fig trees are as entwined into my life as they are my memory over the years. I have a fig tree beside our house in Whangaparaoa which provides all of the same benefits for my children today, and it was one of the first trees I planted on our small block in Ngahinapouri.
Having grown up in a religious family the expression “who gives a fig” was a replacement for “who gives a f***k’ , for some odd reason it was acceptable to replace these expletives with everyday words as it showed an element of control?? I never really got that – everyone knew you meant the latter expression anyway – and didn’t it just make the everyday word an expletive?..often its more how we say something that offends rather than what we say; I don’t see many people offended by Billy Connely’s “Fork Owff”
Figuratively for the purpose of this blog, the fig is really a care, a thought; and when I say I give a fig – it means I care, who gives a fig - who cares, why give a fig- why we should care; and so on.
