The Elephant in the Room

 "Emmett & Padma" - mixed media on reclaimed wood, 24 x 24. Ready to hang.  Making its public debut at Ciel Gallery in June.  Inquiries: imajenation@gmail.com.

Why is it we are challenged as humans to discuss the obvious?  We dance around dysfunction with grace and agility, avoiding topics which are uncomfortable but clearly need addressing.  Thus the old adage of "the elephant in the room."  The elephant, it seems, makes us seek our comfort rituals and avoidance tactics with precision.   Even writing these words feels uncomfortable - like I might be stirring up trouble by bringing up the topic even in the most generic of terms.

Truth matters to me.  It is something I value highly - maybe too much so.  There is nothing like a well-placed fib to preserve someone's dignity or to avoid unnecessary hurt feelings.  Elephant dancing, it seems, is a high art form, requiring a delicate sense of timing and a light step.   Because a wrongly-placed fib does more damage than a truth.

And then there the stories we tell ourselves.  My inner monologue can be rather unkind, and is often untrue.  If we dissect the things we tell ourselves about ourselves, we find most of it is just not the case at all.  What's with that?  And we believe our own bull hockey.  We believe our own self-lies with the same tenacity we use to mis-trust what others tell us.  Hmmmmm.  

Sometimes it is helpful to bust through all the elephant dancing with an heroic sprint, like football players through a GO TEAM sign before a game (and that is likely the only sports metaphor you will ever read here! ha ha!)  This afternoon, I hope to bust through my own inner misconceptions and layers of cow patties in an act so BOLD that I shudder at the thought!  Have I got you wondering yet?  

In the meantime, enjoy Padma, who has decided to climb aboard the elephant, a sweet boy named Emmett, and  stare down anyone who dares deny his existence.  She is my kind of girl. :)