The sun sets on another day…
I am always amazed at the sunset, tonight was no different. The sunset came and blasted the skies with color, then passed off to the west and left the stars to keep us company. So it goes each night, a progression that is for all of our time.
There is a story most people know some part of about seven bland men and an elephant. The men have no sense of sight so they are put in the room with the elephant and each is asked to describe it. Hmm, I pause here so you can see the story:
A group of blind men were told that a strange animal, called an elephant, had been brought to the town, but none of them were aware of such a creature. Out of curiosity, they said: “We must know it by touch, of which we are capable”. So, they sought it out, and when they found it they groped about it. The first person, whose hand landed on the trunk, said, “This being is like a thick snake”. For another one whose hand reached its ear, it seemed like a kind of fan. As for another person, whose hand was upon its leg, said, the elephant is a pillar like a tree-trunk. The blind man who placed his hand upon its side said the elephant, “is a wall”. Another who felt its tail, described it as a rope. The last felt its tusk, stating the elephant is that which is hard, smooth and like a spear.
The question is of course, were they right or wrong. This is an age old perspective quiz and can be told many ways. In my opinion none were wrong, but none were right either. If you can accept that you must know that you can be in a situation where you are not wrong, but not right. Each man was sure of their perspective by their knowledge and senses. Make no mistake, their knowledge played a part as well.
I ask that any person consider that while think they are surely right consider the next person may have knowledge and senses that may be different. As such, you may not be wrong or right, and they may not be wrong or right, but instead everyone seeing their small piece of a very big picture. It would be amazing if people could just realize that for a moment.
So as the sun sets on another day, I can’t find my elephant, well, I will, but it doesn’t matter, listen to others, be confident in yourself but be humble enough to realize there is a bigger picture, and keep smiling all you can, no matter what.
Sleep sweet, love with all your soul, and enjoy all you can each day…