I saw a fascinating documentary last evening called “The Elephant in the Living Room.” The film takes its viewers deep into the American subculture of raising some of the world’s most dangerous animals as household pets, focusing in particular on Terry Brumfield, a kindhearted man who is struggling to raise two African lions he bought to help him deal with his depression following a truck driving accident.
Mr. Brumfield cares deeply for the lions, but his declining health and fragile emotional state make it obvious to him that he must find a more appropriate home for them. He knew he was growing increasingly incapable of handling them, but holds on to them even though his difficult situation is rendered more awkward by the birth of four lion cubs. Strangely, he doesn’t let them move on until tragedy strikes. His first lion, a gorgeous male named Lambert, was sadly electrocuted to death in a freak accident.
While the story is heart-wrenching, it happens more often than you might think, well, maybe not actually, but metaphorically-speaking. Mankind has suffered from this ironic condition – where that which is loved is kept imprisoned – for ages. He loves his higher self, but keeps it imprisoned for various reasons. Perhaps like Mr. Brumfield, he feels he will lose himself if he opens the gate. Or maybe he does so because it makes him feel powerful to imprison that which he knows is greater than himself.
Whatever the reason, it is clear from watching this film and from any honest review of human history that we must endeavor as individuals, and eventually as a race, to embrace the means by which our higher selves can be given free reign in the field of circumstance we are blessed to have before us. The lion is a wonderful symbol of nobility and strength and it pained me to see one of them locked in a horse trailer in this well-intentioned, but sad man’s back yard. Even sadder to me is the limited state we have accepted for ourselves as human beings. Remember this: that which becomes normal is not always natural.
Man has long hoped and prayed for the release of a great power in the earth. They feel it is being withheld from them for one reason or another. The various world religions have elaborate reasons for why it is being kept from them, but I think we’ve been looking at it backwards. We are the prison wardens – not the prisoners – and we alone possess the key that unlocks to gate to our freedom. We are are the means by which and through which the beauty and truth, the majesty in fact of that power can be known in the earth – not in some distant future, but here and now.
Gregory Hake 
Moving on, and letting go, prior to being backed into a corner, is the honorable way.
Far too often we fall upon our knees and turn to God when all hell has broken loose, most often as a result of our own stubborn doing.
Far more wise, much easier, and certainly the softer is the way, of doing the right thing in the first place, or better yet starting right now. Whatever the case may be, as you have outlined before, the leverage and opportunity exist now, to not waste another moment going about things backwards, and downward.
Onward and Upward!!!
Thanks Gregg!
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We are not the prisoner, but the prison guards. That right there is a life changing realization. It puts the sword in your hand which allows you to cut the human condition’s Gordian knot. It is possible to be free of the struggle to keep the higher self imprisoned, because that is not an easy task. It it like trying to kill yourself by strangulation with your hands without realizing it. You wonder why you are falling unconscious and are always out of breath. Just let go of your throat, and you will start breathing more easily. There is really nothing to it.
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Thank you for contrasting the state of the sad man and mankind. Chioce is such a powerful key between a pathetic experience and the freeing of the inherent power that is looking to be released through us. Your words make me look deeper in how I can acknoweldge the power in the choices I make and the eventual experience I know. Something to realize every moment we have a choice to make that brings the soundness of life or something that dissipates the gift of life we are given.
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There are so many tragic stories like this – in fact, probably in some way, for each and every one of us. I liked your point about giving our higher selves the freedom (without fear) to reign. We all have the choice as to how we would like our lives to be.
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A powerful and thought provoking post. Thank you for looking to provide a constant reminder and awareness of the beauty and potential that is locked so tragically away within us. Finding the key to unlock this potential individually and as a race and having the courage to free the lions, our higher selves is a worthy and necessary goal. “If you love it set it free”.
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Thinking of mankind as the jailer rather than the prisoner creates a change in view that makes it possible for a change in behavior. I think the “elephant in the living room” for human beings is expecting to be rescued from a seeming cruel or capricious control when we are a determining cog in the wheel of that control mechanism. Who knows how our world would change if our higher nature was the predominant participant. I am very disturbed when I see animals mistreated, it’s heart wrenching. I can only imagine how heart wrenching it must be for our creator to see our catastrophe. Great post !
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