The Elephant's Blessing

Bangalore, India

The inspiration for this blog's title is this:

I've always loved elephants. Everything I've learned about them - their complex social structures, high levels of intellect, displays of affection, fascination with the bones of deceased elephants, the ability to die of heartbreak - makes them almost seem more fundamentally human than we act sometimes. 

I used to say that hummingbirds, distinguished by their bright colors and tendency to flit around from flow to flower (effectively working hard but "taking time to smell the roses"), were my favorite animals. But I think elephants have always been my true favorite, ever since I saw them as a girl in A Little Princess and then read about them in Water for Elephants (one of my favorite books) in high school. This sentiment was confirmed when I met an elephant for the first time yesterday at the Indian National Zoo.  

Looking an elephant in the eye is an almost overwhelming sensation. I held the gaze of white tigers, lemurs, monkeys, deer, peacocks, and countless other animals yesterday, but nothing was quite like that of the elephant. Like looking at the Mona Lisa, you can't help but feel that she knows something right out of your reach that you can't quite grasp. Those brown eyes are tired, almost weary with wisdom, but the trunk swings playfully - like she's reminding you that she still retains a youthful lightheartedness. 

Pay her 10 INR  (about $0.19), and she'll happily accept the bill by grasping it with her trunk and passing the money to her handler. She'll then lift her dry, wrinkly trunk above you, and set it on your head - thus giving you her blessing. 

Because I don't really believe in such things, I can't say that the blessing itself was a magical, life-changing experience for me. But I do believe in the power of relationships, and I think taking the time to appreciate the animal and the happiness she was bestowing (rather than treating her as a photo opp) does create a special kind of bond. And since I do have a particular attachment to elephants, I can say the experience enriched my life and gave me a story to share. 

Not to mention a title for my blog :)