Angry Elephant Revisited: Of Mice and Men… and Elephants

First, if you don’t know the general theme and plot of the Steinbeck reference, take a second and check it out (reading this will feel much less random that way).

And yes, keep in mind that historically (or at least in cartoons, which is where I feel like we exists sometimes) Elephants are afraid of mice. I think we’re supposed to either laugh or find meaning in power vs. size. Honestly, I just think we should all (Republicans, Democrats, Independents, I-Don’t-Care-Anymore-ians) just start laughing out loud (and if you’re bold, mockingly in the face of) the current state of our political “system.”

Of mice, however, I do like to think about the unnamed 2 or 3 people who first decided to start sharing an idea called Occupy Wall Street that has since gone global. It doesn’t matter if you agree or not, what matters is that it started a global dialog, and THAT’S cool. Only the landing of Aliens (from outer space… settle down with your fence fetish for awhile)… only the landing of aliens (from outer space) could have united people from so many different places… or so says Star Trek. (Blame my parents for that reference, not Steinbeck. I had to grow up with that show.) But alas, we’re talking about Angry Elephants. Yes, yes.

I’ve never actually attempted to have a (meaningful) discussion with an elephant

[the real kind with tusks, not the kind with the aliens (not from outer space) fetish… I bar-argue with those as much as I can]. I would gamble, however, that they (the tusked ones) dream of a simple and happy life. Maybe as an actor (“Dumbo made it, so can I!”), or to just buy a nice farm somewhere and work the land… maybe buy a tractor as well… one of those green and yellow ones. Four wheels and a bouncy seat. Good plan. I would double down that they are much more gentle creatures than they initially apear, too.

The lead elephant (of the non-tusked) cries at the drop of a dime… he can’t be all that angry, right?

He’s probably just really lonely.

His job managing all the new workers who got elected last round is NOT an easy field to manage. Most of the new workers still don’t even have hats (let alone gloves). They just don’t know what one really needs to be that kind of migrant worker (it is a temp job after all not within their own borders…ok… that one was a bit of a stretch). I can just see all the workers (all very good “friends” according to the transcripts) in the field across the hall looking at them in disbelief. Poor ranch manager. I’d cry, too.

It’s those darn ringleaders with the whips that make them stand up and roar all the time. It used to be a good show just to chase a hoop for awhile, maybe stand on your back legs a bit, then you could go back with the rest of the pack, have a drink and get some work done. Not anymore. Too many mice to stomp on.

Elephants have a really big fear of change. The bigger the animal (or business or boat) the slower its ability to change direction. Mice move fast, think fast. Big ‘ole things just can’t keep up with that. It scares them.

And it is scary. Change can be a freaky thing sometimes. It’s how we react to it that shows who we really are.

Angry elephants. They certainly didn’t run, but boy howdy how they’ve decided to use all their mass to prevent the change all the mice and men are demanding. They’re just too darn big. I might even go as far and say that in the current state it’s not their falt. It’s just what they are: giant lumbering scared elephants who resist change the only way they know how.

Angry elephants can destroy (filibuster) our best laid plans. Angry elephants resist change… “I like my watering hole just fine, thank you very much, so I’m going to stay here and you go find your own.” Angry elephants don’t understand nuance or truth in paradox (I think it’s a matter of being tall; makes it more difficult to look under and around things so that you can get the whole picture). But mice are resourceful. Mice think and move fast. If they keep at it, I bet the old elephants might even be able to learn not to be scared.

Now all we need is a tortoise to help the mice stay the course.

Footnote: no guns, and no mobs, and no putting anyone out of their misery, OK? Metaphors are cool and fun, but we don’t **really** mean moats and alligators when we say moats and alligators (no… really… we DON’T mean that… but if you want to adopt a tortoise, that would be cool… and I am actually fairly certain elephants are afraid of mice).