Elephants and task masters

Yesterday was an amazing day.  It was our first touristy event since we got here 21 days ago.  Ok well, the walking market was touristy but I've done that sort of thing before.  I have never ridden an elephant in my life.  Until yesterday.

I enjoyed every moment of  my day with the elephants.  My face was glued with a permasmile at the end of it all.  We got to ride in an oxcart and it felt like I was living 100 years in the past.  We rode elephants in seats on their backs and I felt like a princess in Siam.  We took a beautiful 55 min bamboo raft ride down a little river that had elephants on the sides of the banks and the peaceful beauty of this area of Northern Thailand.  I felt full and refreshed after a long day with good friends and real elephants and beautiful nature.

We also watched a show the elephants put on.  They are intelligent animals with amazing memories.  The men working with them during the show seemed to treat them nicely enough.  But I couldn't help but wonder how much the elephants would enjoy freedom more than performing and applause, maybe more than the games they have to play over and over and over, maybe more than the paintings they painted (for real - it was awe inspiring).  These beautiful creatures wowed the audience and performed and painted and played the games and we all applauded.  But they aren't free.

What are my task masters?  What are the games I've learned to play, the applause, or approval, or the money I'm performing for?  What scenes do I find myself painting over and over and over?  What chains are around my feet that keep me bound to the barn when I was created for the jungles?  Whose voices do I respond to instead of realizing I could just squish that little task master speaking in my ear and run to my freedom.  What have I allowed to train me and make me forget the power and intelligence and freedom and beauty I was created for.

I enjoyed the elephants.  But they weren't created for my applause.  And for that, my heart felt heavy. I'm meeting with many students for breakfast and after school.  I'm just helping them identify a few little task masters, hoping they will remember who they really are, or maybe discover the potential within them in a brand new way through new lenses, with new light.

I couldn't go break the chains of those beautiful, intelligent, powerful elephants, but I think I've been able to break a few chains off the beautiful, intelligent, powerful young people I've been able to meet with.  And as I am, a few of my own are breaking off as well.