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05.06.2012 Feature Article

A Caravan of Polling Station Monkeys

A Caravan of Polling Station Monkeys
05.06.2012 LISTEN

Truth can be stranger than fiction. Symbolism and parables serve to paint principles in bright colours for clarity of understanding and greater appreciation. Providence tends to play mischief with humanity and displays principles of life with the tumultuous, odd and ridiculous aspects of our lives. This activity of Providence could be Nature's way of showing that, high or low on the social ladder, we all have the same frailties. The degree and intensity of experiences may vary but the basic causative factors are the same.

Monkeys symbolize mischief in many stories. The baboons (a type of monkeys) of Shai Hills were reported to have scared women from a camp of Game Rangers, tossed their pots of cassava on fire to the ground and eaten the cassava, when the men had left the camp for their regular patrol duties.

As children most of us can recall situations in which we have played truant and acted with mischief. Some would go as far as to suggest that children who do not have the flexibility to be free to play, with occasional mischief to top it up, do not grow into responsible adults. The child, they say, is the father (or is it the founder) of the man. Men carry on some aspects of childlike behavior in adult life. This introduces the comedy of errors in our lives and we should celebrate our errors with laughter at our own selves. Ego may however intervene and deceive us to think we are above some types of error and therefore try to cover our tracks. When Providence however throws light on what we try to hide, all hell may break loose with our anger and self preservation antics, like monkeys, and what could be a comedy changes into a tragedy.

Politicians seem to be in our view very often and we dissect their words and actions on the airwaves, in the print media and in cyberspace, sometimes too much for our peace of mind and pocket. The selfishness, greed and ego with which they act have made some people describe them as either kettles or pots. Lack of foresight in the pursuance of selfish goals flavoured with inordinate greed result in many acts of political mischief. Otherwise respectable politicians reduce themselves into mere monkeys playing mischief. With cases of two main political parties or traditions, it becomes a case of the black pot versus the black kettle. If it is a question of cleanliness, then there may not be much of a distinguishing feature. Variety and range of utility services however brings much to help with choice. A pot delivers a lot more than a kettle; like kenkey, ampesi or fufu, fried rice, soup, gravy, etc. The kettle only serves hot water and cannot be coaxed to deliver the staple food.

Since we are very often engrossed in crying our own cries, Nature seems to highlight the lives of politicians and celebrities for us and Providence displays the cobwebs in their innermost chambers to us. It would seem that Providence enjoys this kind of mischief a lot these days as secrets get revealed day in day out. As humans, the faults in our leaders are in us also, and those things we accuse them of are traceable to us also, in various degrees from our errors in thought, word or deed. We reduce the choice between political parties to:- (1)This is from my tribe. (2)This is corrupt / more corrupt. (3)This favours the big guys/ elites. (4)This cares more for me, the common villager. (5) This has brought road / water to my farm / market place / ancestral village. (6) This is only a toad trying to inflate him / herself to look like a goat. (7) This must be a bright skirt and lousy blouse by all means. (8) This is like of old. (9) This is likely to take better care of my dependants if I have to suddenly leave town. (10) This looks saintly though saints are an endangered species. (11) This seems more like war mongering though others say it is only assertiveness, maybe, maybe carried too far. These are some of the mischief making monkeys that will decide who wins with joy, or who loses despite desperate efforts.

We all have desires and visions of the future we would like. Some people may share in our desires and visions at some times but not all times. When the times of departure from common dreams come, fractures develop in our relationships and we get angry with our former friends and partners and accuse them of what may even not be true. In our disappointment we may see what is not there and exaggerate beyond reason. Providence may again step in to highlight our lies and cause us to either try to brave it out bury our heads in shame.

This mischief of Providence does not spare any of us. A Mystic Poet, Sant Darshan Singh Ji Maharaj, has captured this condition of humanity as follows:-“As the caravan of my desires moved forward, I mistook each approaching turn for my destination.” A T-junction is like two lines meeting at ninety degrees. While approaching the junction from the bottom of the T, one may not see the top arm of the T, and think he is approaching a dead end; a destination. Upon reaching the junction, he would see that the supposed destination has only become a left or right turn. Expectations of political gains from celebrations with fancy T-Shirts, pickup and other rides with fanfare may be reduced to sobs on pillows wet with tears of anguish. Thereafter new plans would have to be made and new destinations sought.

When struggling with the final examinations in school, we anticipate the end of exam stress and the joy of a rewarding life. When the results come in after that, we may have to repeat some courses, change some programs, continue in some cases or look for employment avenues. End of school celebrations followed by failure and repeat classes is a period of shame and disgrace that we may want to blame on others. A more productive approach would be to look at our own desires leading to the poor outcome. Whenever we point an accusing fore-finger at anybody, there are at least three other fingers pointing at our own selves. We do not see the three because our attention is fixed on the other person with all the anger we can summon from our innermost depths.

We cannot plant corn and expect to harvest millet. This is no news, as we all know it and the implications if someone claims to have harvested yams from his groundnut farm. We do not however realize that what happens to us is a result of our own thoughts, words and actions. This is a system of actions and compensating reactions. It is the law of balance in Nature or the law of karma. The administrator of this law is the impersonal judge we may call Providence. He is an impartial judge and we are better off avoiding him with a life devoted to selflessness and integrity. If humanity can stop inviting Providence to exhibit the chief activity of monkeys, which is mischief, fathers / founders would not have to endure finding traitors and enemies in their villages or hamlets, nor elephants chasing themselves into the bush.

Victor Awayevoo.

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