I PROMISE

I live in a world that makes perfect sense. I can’t speak for anybody else but my world follows some pretty steadfast rules, with fairly predictable results. There is matter and there are forces. They interact; we rotate and revolve in that order. Push, pull - move a little bit - mountains up, mountains down. Heat up, cool off - a little rain here, lots of ice there, sea level up - sea level down and you have it, my world. If I were selling appliances or trying to get elected, this is where I’d say, “The problem is. . .” 

A tiger fell into a pit and couldn’t get out. He called up to a monkey to push a tree limb down so he could climb out. The monkey refused, saying, “If I do, you will eat me.”  Tiger assured the monkey he would not eat him. In fact, he would be so grateful, he would reward the monkey. So the monkey pushed down a limb. The tiger climbed out and pounced on the monkey. Monkey said, “You promised you wouldn’t eat me.” Tiger then replied, “Yes I did, but you knew I was a Tiger.” People are just one leaf on the tree of life and it must be a mortal sin to presume that we are more important than all the other leaves. Along with intelligence we inherited a terminal case of collective narcissism. We are pathological in our approach to all things that are not human. My world is full of problems but without people, there are no problems. What does that say about people?

Bozo does a concert gig. He is the only performer on a grand stage but nobody comes to listen. He sings and plays his guitar for hours. Then he writes a review and publishes it in the paper. The paper sells only one copy. Bozo reads the dazzling review and concludes the concert was a tremendous success and he is the greatest performer on earth. We are both monkey and tiger, depending on your place in the pecking order. 

I love the geology, the physics, the chemistry; the planet is amazing and it is absolutely immune to corruption. If you’re a person it comes natural to frame everything in terms of your own best interests so the planet becomes either a resource, a liability or maybe a threat. It’s all about us and I don’t wear that mantle very well. It doesn’t bother me that I’m just a piece in the puzzle. I’m happy to be a mundane, blue sky, puzzle piece. If I fit inconspicuously into a high sky over a landscape that’s fine. I don’t need to be in the waterfall or part of the sunset. I don't need to be the assembler, judge of whether it is good or bad. From my perch, collectively, we can't get over that hurdle. 

The fact that we’re in the national election cycle doesn’t help. The whole process is so thin, so transparent; millions of critics with a 3 year-old’s sensibility, all wanting more than they deserve. The tigers in the pit all want the 3 year-olds to throw down their little branch, not to the other tiger; that’s a bad tiger. They want it for themselves and they promise anything; “I promise I won’t eat you.” The naive monkeys take the bait. How does that work out? “But you knew I was a tiger. 

Actually, I prefer mud slides, wild fires and tsunamis. I know they screw up human enterprise but over time, it all works out. I’ll throw a branch down and my tiger will either win or lose. I’ll end up tiger bait either way. Some tigers might actually care about the monkey. Mr. Tyson probably cares about his chickens too. If I sound cynical, I’m old and that’s what you get when you pay attention. Molly Ivins was a political pundit, a Texan during the GWB years, a thorn in his side for all of his public life (talk about a tiger in the pit.) She talked candidly about the sleazy, base, dirty tricks and double dealing; not just Republicans, the whole circus. She said you can’t be there and not get it on you, so you jump in both feet, after a while get used to the smell. I liked her, a lot. But even without the stench, I don’t have the stomach for it.