I have not been writing about the war raging in the Middle East. I am not sure of the origins of the expression ‘an elephant in the room’ but think of how hard it is to ignore an elephant in your room, particularly when it is a small room which mine is. Decided to get a little more information about the elephant, so I turned to Gemini. Not that it matters that much but it is interesting and does tend to divert us from messy world affairs and events. . Well some of your mess, I am in Malaysia, not messy here yet.
Gemini: The expression “the elephant in the room” is surprisingly modern, though its roots are a bit of a slow burn. Here is the breakdown of how we ended up with a giant mammal in our living rooms: There is the Fable Origin of 1814 The earliest relative of the phrase is attributed to Ivan Krylov, a famous Russian fabulist. He wrote a story called The Inquisitive Man, about a man who goes to a museum and notices all sorts of tiny details and insects but fails to notice a massive elephant. Then along came Mark Twain in 1882. Twain wrote a short story titled “The Stolen White Elephant,” which played with the idea of a massive, obvious thing being right under people’s noses while they looked everywhere else for it. Modern usage began in the 1950s. One of the first printed recordings of the exact phrase appeared in the New York Times, describing a political issue: “Financing schools has become an elephant in the room. At first, no one would admit it was there.”
It seem like it is an excellent metaphor for the Middle East conflict because it’s not just big; it’s heavy, it’s loud, and everyone is walking around it trying not to knock over the furniture. Hahaha
To begin, there is a special kind of peace that comes from knowing you are not the one in charge, when you have confidence in the One that is. I am struck by the sheer futility of those trying to “manage” a world that has already been precisely re-aligned by the Great Planner. In the Gulf, the alignment is even more precise. Iran’s ultimatum to the US bases is the ultimate “checkmate” in a game these leaders thought they were in charge and still playing.
- On March 12th, the message was clear: The era of your security lies is over. * The hasty evacuations of families from Bahrain and the UAE—the “THIS IS NOT A DRILL” alerts—are simply the Great Planner clearing the clutter from the board.
- When empires reach their end, they don’t go quietly, but they go exactly when they are meant to. To worry about it is to assume a pay grade that I do not hold and neither do you.
I am in the enviable position of being an Observer. The world is worrying about “withering” economies, I just look at my ‘storehouse’ My path, began in began in 1973 was to get a job working for the County of Marin – paying into the retirement system until my retirement in 2004. The retirement fund MCERA can weather the storm, so to speak. Now, as a Muslim, I see the Great Planner didn’t just design the end of empires—He designed the safety of the individual who trusts in Him. I trust in Him explicitly. The “banked” truth of our lives is our real currency. Everything else? It’s just the noise of a design we were never meant to fix.
I am SO blessed at this time in my life. Think of the horrendous worries faced by millions of people. Their ‘withered economies’ are truly of concern. To say nothing of the loss of SO many lives, there are millions of survivors grieving their lost children, spouses, parents. I have no one to grieve or to spend every waking moment worrying about some one close to me in a danger zone.
I have the special peace – the peace of not having my heart and soul held hostage by a war zone. I am counting my blessings – other economies aren’t just failing; they are shrinking the lives of the people within them. This is SO ironical, having “no one” in the line of fire is a form of wealth that money can’t buy. It’s a “quiet life” vs. a “shattered life.”
The Islamic Faith which is now endlessly benefitting me began as a hardship. I was forced to flee my hone both in the US and Canada for the faith. There are hardships and benefits – central to the faith. Mine is the peace of a survivor. I survived displacement, the loss of friends and family, possessions – I am a refuge – therefor, actually a casualty of war. But a different kind of war. If not for the faith I would be living in the USA in a state of empathetic despair for all of the casualties. But being persecuted, being a refuge is not a piece of cake. Decided to ask Gemini about the origins of a ‘piece of cake’
Gemini: It is an expression that actually has a bit of a “commercial” history itself, though in a much different sense. It was originally tied to another idiom “cakewalk” In the Southern United States, enslaved people held competitions where they would perform a stylized, high-stepping dance (often parading or “promenading”). The most graceful couple would win a giant cake as a prize. Then the meaning shifted. Because the prize was literally a “piece of cake” for doing something that was meant to look effortless and joyful, the phrase began to represent anything easily accomplished. It reached Literary Popularity in the late 1930, and 40s. The exact phrase “piece of cake” became a staple of British Royal Air Force (RAF) slang Pilots would use it to describe an easy mission or a smooth landing.
But you see, in a way, I did not have a smooth landing in the beginning; finally it is smooth. The important thing is that when the landing was rough, I did not lose my faith in the midst of the hardships. Allah was there for me because I did not ‘blame’ my being a Muslim on Him. I did not play the victim. I took responsibility for my faith That is SO important. Muhammed did not play the victim when he was forced out of Mecca fleeing to Medinah. He prospered, Medina prospered. He did not get even for the years of persecution – instead the Messenger transcend with the strength that comes from patience (Sabr) and lack of victimhood. He fought war, winning wars and eventually reclaimed Mecca (630 C.E.). In victory he forgave most of the inhabitants who had been his sworn enemies.Steadiness is important to the faith and in my life it has paid off and continues to because of the core concept of hijab which I have discussed on my blog before. My personal “fleeing “ made my residence part of a 1,400-year-old Hijrab tradition.
I think of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his arrival in Medina. He didn’t arrive with a list of grievances; he arrived to build. And years later, when he reclaimed Mecca, he didn’t seek a ‘pi’ revenge. He forgave. He was steady. That steadiness is what Allah requires, and it is exactly what leads to the ‘smooth landing’ I’m enjoying now.
Faithful readers know I end each blog with photos often illustrating facts mentioned in the blog of the day. These photos show treasures left behind, possessions and other paraphernalia I sometimes miss. I did not leave because I hated the place, I left because my faith required a different trajectory. I could have remained, sued the police department that abused me, the apartment complex that had me wrongfully evicted but that would keep me from worshipping, intent only on revenge. Success would bring lots of money but no peace of mind and would do NOTHING to stem the tide of Islamophobia. “I have the photos, but I don’t miss the ‘real thing.’ I traded those walls for a sanctuary that can’t be taken away.” “I kept the photos, but I found my peace elsewhere. Allah is enough!” ”
