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While I was in Thailand, I spent some time in the jungle.
I lived with a community of fun-loving, warm-hearted Thais and a large number of gorgeous, intelligent elephants.
The Surin Project is a not for profit organisation that aims to provide these incredible creatures with the opportunity to be in their natural state and environment; those both equating to WILD.
Each morning I would wake to the sound of roosters crowing and the trumpets of neighboring elephants. Each night, sleep would catch me by surprise and take me back over the day’s happenings, getting me excited for the coming morning.
It was a delightful cycle.
Food
work
laughter
work lessons
food
walks work
food
laughter
sleep wake.
I learnt a lot while I was in the jungle.
I learnt that elephants are among the most intelligent creatures on this planet. And that their gentleness is on par with their smarts.
I learnt never to get in between a baby ellie and its mother.
I learnt that sometimes there aren’t any barriers that divide man from beast.
I leant how easy it can be to fall in love with a community of people.
I learnt that there are a lot of things I can do, including wielding a machete and plumbing.
I learnt that there are people in the world who see animals and the environment the way I see them.
I learnt that you don’t need much to keep you happy.
I learnt the importance of contribution.
I learnt that you can get a smile out of almost anyone, if you know what takes their guard down.
I learnt to never be complacent.
To always stand up for what you believe in.
To protect and value nature.
To have a voice for those who cannot speak.
To always strive for greatness, even if your efforts seem small.
I miss the jungle. I miss the elephants. I miss Dan & Bry & Shanyna & Osha. I miss the mahouts and their witty (childish) banter. I miss the sun, rain, food, dirt, sweat, pineapple and company.
There is an elephant in Surin who has not been let off his chain in 7 years.
He is enormous. His tusks are amazing. His skin is light grey. If you look in his eyes, you can see how he is slowly going insane.
He killed someone, a man I believe, which is why they never let him off the chain.
But after being chained up for however many years, I’d probably lash out too. And if I happened to have a pair of sturdy tusks attached to me there’s a good chance someone would get hurt.
He sways a lot.
But most of the elephants do.
It is the memory of the circus and the pain of street begging that makes them sway.
Every time we walked or drove past that enormous, gorgeous creature, I would get a tear in my eye. The only time I ever cried while at Surin was for that elephant.
Who didn’t know where he was.
Or why he couldn’t get away.
Or if he’d ever know the joy of freedom again.
And it was because of humans that he was there. It broke my heart.
Still breaks my heart thinking of it now.
Although I am small, and my efforts
may seem little, they are tangible and efforts non-the-less.
As one of our great Aussie song writers put so simply:
from little things, big things grow.
PEACE X
