The Flight of the Rocketman

I've been walking around all day, thinking
I think I have a problem, I think I think too much
I've been taught to hold back my tears and avoid them
But you've made pain into something I could touch
-- Fragile (free), performed by Maria Mena (written by Maria Mena and Arvid Solvang)

The reason why I love elephants so much (so much to put a tattoo of one in my stomach) is that the inherent qualities they possess are so admirable. The precious (and quite cliche) elephant's sharp memory is one. The fact that they are these big, strong animals but are rather gentle (unless you provoke them, then they can be quite ferocious). The fact that the general aura they bring out is one of wonder and joy.

I remember when I worked in the zoo for civic duty (a stupid requirement from my school) and I was always so enraptured by the people's reaction to seeing the elephant. Thye were always so happy to see it and it could just be eating or drinking or taking a little shower. But people generally just loved the elephant. It is such a joyous animal.

My mom's guru and a shaman once asked me if I wanted to know what my power animal is. She asked me if I wanted to know what animal should guide me through the world. Apparently, when she tried to collect my missing soul fragments (another long story on its own, don't ask) I saw her power animals. She was quite impressed with that. So she asked me if I wanted to have my power animal identified. I said "sure." She then did her trance thing and went through me and discovered that my power animal was the elephant. After that, I knew I had to put an elephant on my body somewhere, thus the tattoo.

Apparently, the Elephant, being the joyous creature that it is could guide me through the world. Their ability to never forget is important to me because apparently, though I never forget myself, I also refuse to learn from past mistakes. I also have the capacity to be quite joyous and that quality can be infectious, but I also have moments of absolute depression which I should avoid. The Elephants strength is not in its size but in its capacity to make use of its size and weight. Nothing is merely powerful, you must be able to properly use your strengths and weaknesses. These are things I have to learn and that my power animal is trying to guide me through.

That's why I love elephants so much. I always have.

Being joyous is such a wonderful thing. And like most other wonderful things, being joyous is quite fragile, easily destroyed, easily broken. It has the capacity to be shattered with just a word, a look, a gesture. We must learn to twist ourselves to bend the light, to let the water just rush over us and not through us. We must learn to ride with the punches, to avoid the direct hit to keep these things from breaking us apart.

But if you are like me, and you enjoy the full force of everything this world has to offer; then learn to pick yourself up quickly. And learn to recognize where all the parts go and to put yourself together as quickly as you can.

Because being joyous is a wonderful thing. And it can be infectious.