A Friend of Mine From India...
![i am not a proponent of domesticated elephants. Though, in India, there is a long standing tradition and ancestry of elephant caretakers. One man takes care of one elephant for their entire lives — the elephant’s or the man’s.
Elephants are extraordinary. i believe they are one of the most compassionate creatures on Earth. This guy’s name is Raju. While Raju carried my friend Jagdish and i along the path, i rubbed him as i would massaging a horse — except with my feet. His response was amazing. He tucked my foot against him with his ear and held me there as though embracing my foot, rubbing his head against my touch. This , as You can imagine, was a very powerful, moving moment, one of the most profound of the trip. If You’ve ever heard the song i wrote called “Elephants,” You’ll know a bit about my affinity with these exceptional animals. Raju and his kind are but one heart-opening example of the “numerous beings who give guidance and support along the path...”
i wonder, as Jacques Cousteau did, why we spend so much money endeavoring to discover intelligent life in space when we have intelligent life here on Earth about which we know next to nothing. i haven’t even mentioned primates, cetaceans, or mammals of suidian persuasion... pigs. Yep, they’re smarter than dogs! (But i’m still happy with my pups, so let’s just forego any porcine preoccupation for the present.)
As i’m fond of saying...
Peaceful steps,
Skip
(Note from Skip: *You might notice that i write and encourage others to write i’s lowercase,and You’s uppercase. This is a bell of mindfulness to me, a reminder that others should come first. i believe we should amend the English language accordingly. Doing so would ring this bell for the hearts and minds of billions. i invite You to join me! S~)
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