The keyword in
the proverb is spice.
We
all know spice is a vegetable material of many kinds, fragrant or aromatic and
pungent to the taste, as pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, allspice, ginger,
cloves, etc., which are used in cookery and to flavor sauces, pickles.
Spice
adds flavour and taste to food. As such, food without spice is bland and
usually tasteless.
What
is true of food is true of life too. Variety, like spice, enriches or alters
the quality of life in a small but significant degree. It gives zest, a
mild flavoring and more importantly a relish, a hearty enjoyment of life.
A
change in routine, a new approach, a new idea, a new venture or adventure, a
vacation or an avocation, a new hobby or a new pet or a game, all add flavour
to life. Else life will be dull and monotonous.
We
all need healthy change in order to avoid becoming mechanical. Already most of
our daily routines have made us automatons. We have to come out of the
rigmarole, once in a while and feel alive and human. This is possible when we
take a detour from the beaten track.
A
word of caution however: Just as too much of spice can spoil the taste of food,
so also too much variety can, in fact, hamper the quality of life.
It
is said in Sanskrit that Ati Sarvatra Varjayet. This means that we should
at all times give up excesses. Positively stated it means that moderation is
the royal road to health and happiness.
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