The Fleas and the Elephant
By Bernard Chanliau, Monday 09 November, 2009
Metaphor by Gerry Ryan Xenergie Associate
Once upon a time a colony of fleas lived on an elephants back. Over time they spread to most parts of its body and used the resources they could access to provide themselves with food, shelter, amusement, etc. They were born, lived and died on 'their' elephant and one generation followed another into the mists of time.They were aware of other elephants and elephant-like objects in the distance that seemed to maintain some form of relationship with their elephant. They often wondered if there were living forms like themselves on these objects and now and again launched some scouting parties to do some exploring. However the more they explored the more questions seemed to arise so it become easier to define their world by what they could see, touch, feel or understand.
They settled into a way of life where they considered themselves to be the only intelligent life form around. Where their elephant was one of a kind, just for them to exploit and live on and where everything within the expanse of their vision and understanding was somehow all designed with them in mind - that they were the centre of their world and universe!
The lived, prospered and spread over the surface of their elephant world. Some were in better places than others, some thrived, some were ok and some struggled to live. They made friends, played games, educated their young and fought wars over territory, resources and ideology. Life had its periods of ups and downs but it continued and all assumed it would always do so on their relatively stable and hospitable elephant world.
They were becoming conscious of some changes in their elephant - there were rashes on its skin in paces, resources seemed to be declining in some areas and there appeared to be a slight rise in its overall temperature. They discussed and argued over these changes. Some believed they were the result of their own actions while others argued they were just part of the natural cycle within their elephant. Mostly they were too preoccupied with their own lives to pay much attention.
The young elephant lived a happy life in her mother's herd. She was surrounded by her aunts, cousins and older siblings who all looked after and protected her. She had grown from a wobbly youngster into a strong young adolescent and was aware of new changes happening in her body. She was moving into a new stage of her life where she needed to take her place as a young adult within the herd. She felt the urge to shake off the last remnants of the mind and body of the youngster she had once been so she could move on and step into her new role in the herd. Under the guidance of her elders she understood that there was an initiation ceremony to help in this process and all the details were agreed as to what it would involve and when it would be carried out. In the presence of all the herd and some invited guests from other herds she would undergo a rigorous physical scrub down, an immersion in the waters of a favoured lake followed by a communal trumpeting by all present to announce her arrival as the newest adult in the herd. The time was set for a moonlight night in the shortest time of the year.
She was excited and looking forward to the ceremony. She was mildly conscious of some irritation in her skin and of the presence of some minute creatures that lived there. They seemed to be more plentiful than ever and she expected that the upcoming ceremony would rid her of most of them. She knew her new adult immune system would prevent re-infestation and maintain a healthier balance between her and all that lived with her. She began her preparations for the big night and found it difficult to contain her growing excitement.
The fleas carried on with life, busily dealing with the latest difficulties. They assumed they would get past them as they had on many occasions before and that all would return to normality again in the near future. Unaware of the true extent of the universe they were a small part of, unaware of its true richness and diversity, unaware of the fact that it went on its own way, on its own path with its own purpose to fulfil. Thinking it was all about them - unaware of the upcoming elephant initiation ceremony - unaware of the true and urgent choice they faced!
