The chained monkey

We choose the chain

Slip the collar over our head

Every morning

We make the bed that we lie in

Life is a series of decisions

Personal choice

If you find yourself stuck

Begin where you are

Work backwards

Get out of bed

Unclip the chain

Throw away the collar

And stop

Blaming

Everyone else

For the way you make your bed

*We are over governed and legislated in this country

Because of complaints and litigation

And it will only get worse as long as individuals blame and coerce for their own benefit

Instead of taking personal responsibility and personal contribution seriously

Header photo: the “speak no evil” monkey – found in a thrift shop without his usual companions “hear no evil” and “see no evil”

We used to have a set of these monkeys (though much smaller) on the book case when I was growing up

It was odd to see him by himself yet also somehow appropriate

We can’t control the other two

People will speak evil and we will hear it, we will see evil too, unfortunately it’s a given.

But we can control our own actions and speech – in fact it’s one of the few autonomous choices we have

And therefore precious

Hence – this is the only monkey in the group that matters to me.

I glued up his foot and he sits in my office to remind me to try not to contribute to the suffering of this world.

9 thoughts on “The chained monkey

  1. One of the few things I insisted on keeping when my father passed was his small brass figure of the three monkeys haha. I always remember seeing it as a child.

    • Thats lovely. It’s the little things isn’t it? I don’t know where the little monkeys from my childhood ended up but my sister found some just like them in a store and got them and I have my bigger dude. Did you Dad have the three elephants too?

Leave a Reply