The Elephant in the Room

I'd rather hear that there is a large white rabbit in the room

Elephant Joke:
Q: Why do ducks have flat feet?
A: From stomping out forest fires?
Q: Why do elephants have flat feet?
A: From stomping out burning ducks.
[I did not claim it was a good joke.]

Actually, how many homes still have a living room?

Many homes now seem to have media rooms, dens, studies, craft rooms and even man caves.

But living rooms?

Even if an elephant showed up, it's doubtful there would be a living room to accommodate him. Or her.

Guess a gorilla could hang out in the man cave.

But then maybe there already is a gorilla in there.

It's going to be interesting to see how Villagers switch today's topic from elephants to food.

This morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas.

How it got into my pajamas I will never know.

lotlot, I still have a living room in my house. And it's so small, if the elephant in question were a real animal, it would be busting out the walls.

Having to explain expressions to literal-minded kids can be really amusing and frustrating at the same time. One of my younger kids just kept asking me "but where's the elephant?" when I tried to explain that the phrase meant "something no one wants to talk about but they know it's there anyway".

Andwhen I tried to explain "looking like the cat who got the canary", it led to a little girl in tears "for the poor birdie", and a young son wanting to know where the empty bird cage was! LOL!

I was sitting there having a cold one in my Kelso Earth Shoes wearing Puka Beads and sporting that new jean jacket my sister had embroidered flowers on when Mr. Prine began to sing about Sabu the proverbial elephant boy and we all joined in on the chorus-
Hey look ma, here comes the elephant boy, bundled all up in his corduroy
headed down south towards Illinois, from the jungles of East St. Paul.
 
I began to believe that Jethro Tull was right about life being a metaphorical bungle in the jungle. I know with temps pushing 100 for a week it has been a hot town summer in the city...walking on the sidewalk hotter than a match head. My wiife has often called me a bull in a china shop. I notice I do attack moving targets like red capes and such.

Odd, in that I have been trying for years to get an elephant in my living room. My fascination with elephants began as a child when my father took me to Africa. Never one to be hindered by having a child, as a 6 year old, I was constantly trying to keep up with a father who could make Hemingway look like a homebody.
On safari with dad, (who forgot I was with him - always hiring someone to watch me so he could forget), I watched in horror as he and a few buddies shot and killed a whole herd of beautiful elephants, including the babies. (his reasoning being that they would starve without the parents he just shot)
From that time on, (there were a few other safaris - the result was the demise of lions, cheetahs, water buffalo, etc.), I made a bond with the elephant. There are several elephants in my home in Idaho but the one big one I have been searching for has so far eluded me. I found one once on ebay. It was life size, hand carved - a baby elephant. Unfortunately it weighed over 1000 pounds and when my husband, wisely, measured the girth, height, etc., I was informed that it would not go through any of our doors and no, he was not going to tear out the walls to fit the elephant into the living room.
The elephant will always be a positive symbol to me though I wonder if there isn't a rather large elephant in Washington D.C. that is being ignored. The problem is, with that kind of elephant, is even though you may try to ignore it, once it is on the move, it can become very dangerous and hard to contain in the living room!

Lynn's story. while amusing and poignant, is a good example of what goes on in so many households. They continue to function in spite of the elephant in the room and yet one or more members may be fighting debilitating addictions. By not acknowledging them the boat is "not rocked" but lives end up radically shortened and happiness is sacrificed.

I have a living room. Its where the gorilla sleeps.

Regarding Pottstown's dilemma in the sidebar above, my school experience says you don't need 8th graders in the high schools, or elementary kids in the middle school. The small school population can better be served, observed, cared for, and taught than the large one. The more kids, the more distant and objective the faculty care of them. It is like a classroom of 15 versus the room of 35 for a teacher.
 
In terms of denial events, we are dealing with it in our own nation. So many idealists are failing to see the destructive atmosphere coming out of Washington. The POTUS is a failure and his socialist cronies need to be swept out of office as soon as possible. Many of my educated, kind-hearted acquaintances refuse to admit that their ardent idealism is in error.
 
Another elephant in t he room occurs as I have observed when someone has a terminal illness and the family will not talk about it, fails to plan for the demise, and refuses to deal with the reality. It makes it hard on the children, neighbors, and everyone involved when "hope" is extended instead of Reality. I now of several families who fell apart after the death of a parent because they all refused to discuss the will, the house, the cars, the final plans, etc.

Welcome  aboard,  IdahoProducer.   Africa  is  fascinating,  although  it's  history  on  many  fronts  is  bittersweet.   You're  so  lucky,  having  childhood  memories  that  forever  imbed  positive  images  of  your  father  in  your  heart.....

There
is no question that the elephant in the room is energy. The cost of energy is
going up and as long as we remain on fossil fuels it will continue to rise at
an ever increasing rate.  This is do to
the fact that we have to go to greater and greater lengths to get it.  The longer we put off serious efforts to
transition out of fossil fuels the harder it will become.   Cheep plentiful fuel will solve all our
first issue problems such as food production, fresh water production, Heating
and cooling.  This was the dream of nuclear
energy which we have not been able to harness without great risk.  The nations which first move significantly off
fossil fuels will dominate the next faze of civilization. 

Elephants have come and gone in my living room, pretty much from the time that my ankle biters became house apes. The elephants were often invited by a gorilla in a man suit, more frequently known as my ex-husband. A little bird told me that most of his elephants are gone now and I'm glad for him, but I doubt he'll ever get over telling his fish stories.

Whadaya get when you cross an Elephant with a Rhino???Elephino...

How about the white elephant? No, the ex-wife doesn’t count! Story goes that the King of Siam (now Thailand) would bestow a white elephant on an attendant who has fallen out of favour. Though rare and beautiful, it was also very expensive to upkeep (ex-wife again?); yet the courtier couldn’t be rid of it without causing the King to lose face. It was a right royal way to send the poor guy to financial ruin. The skillful use of stratagem on the part of the Siamese court likely also explains why Thailand had never been colonized unlike its Asian neighbours.
http://www.petermanseye.com/photos/539001

My white elephant in the house is a pair of heavy copper urns, one bearing an embossed dragon, the other a phoenix. They belonged to my ex who received them from his grandmother; I thought them terribly ugly. The ex has returned to live in Malaysia and they were too heavy for him to carry back, yet, I can’t get rid of them in case he wants them back one day. At least they serve well as doorstoppers.

As for a national white elephant, where shall I start? Australia’s ruling Labour party’s biggest gaffe, arguably the most comprehensive Governmental failure since WW2, has got to be our $2.45 billion insulation scheme, designed after the 2008 financial crisis. The massive waste of taxpayer’s money has so far been linked to 200 house fires, 1500 electrified roofs and four deaths, and in an effort to turn around the scheme, the programme has now halted in mid air leaving many genuine contractors financially stranded while the government tries to sift the scammers from the genuine contractors.

How do you get down from an elephant?

You don't. You get down from a duck

For Eli:

What's harder than getting a pregnant Elephant in the back seat of your car?
.
.
.
.

Getting an Elephant pregnant in the back seat of your car.

For Spring~

What do you get if you cross an Elephant with a Kangaroo?
.
.
.
.
Great big holes all over Australia.

For JaxZ...you look at the Elephant thru the wrong end of your binoculars,pick it up with a tweezers, and put it into a matchbox...(kids still do play with matchbox cars,right?)....and then get  the second elephant,and play soft music....if the matchbox is-a-rockin'....well, you know

ACircus Parade was going down the Main Street of a small town...well, you kind of know the kind of mess an Elephant can leave (Yes, I know it is great fertilizer)...and along behind all the parading animals, was the requisite sweeper,with his little cart....I approached him and asked.."Isn't this kind of a,er, smelly, job? Why do you do it with a big smile?     .   .   ."SHOW BIZ!!"    said he

What do you call an elephant who cuts his holiday short? Truncated.

Eli: (I'm sure I'll catch it from someone on this one).

If every nation had to write a book about the Elephant:

The French book - The Sex Life of the Elephant

The English book - Elephants I have shot on Safari

The Welsh book - The Elephant and its influence on Welsh language and
culture or: Oes ysgol tocynnau eleffant llanfairpwll nhadau coeden.

The American book - How to Make Bigger And Better Elephants

The Japanese book - How to Make Smaller And Cheaper Elephants

The German book - A Short Introduction to Elephants, Vol 1-6

The Icelandic book - Defrosting an Elephant

The Swiss book - Switzerland: The Country Through Which Hannibal Went
With His Elephants
The Canadian book - Elephants: A Federal or State Issue?

The Swedish book - How to reduce your taxes with an elephant.

...OK,OK, . . . what did Hannibal get when he crossed the mountains with his Elephants? Mountains that never forget.....

......How do you make an Elephant fly?   you start with a 4foot zipper

...and now, for the inevitable food reference.... Have you ever had an elephant for dinner??  What did they eat?

Don't know why this made me think of Stoney....

An elephant was walking along a river, when he saw a turtle standing there. With all the force he could muster, he kicked it, and it shot into the mountains. A passing zebra remarked:
"Why did you do that?"
"I recognise that as the same turtle that bit me on my leg 44 years ago," said the Elephant.
"Wow, what an amazing memory!"
"Yes, turtle recall."

Can't y'all take anything seriously?
 
I was an elephant once for Halloween.  I had a
slinky for a nose.
Do any of you know what it is like to walk around
on Halloween with a slinky for a trunk?
It's not so bad walking from house to house, up the
steps, yelling out Trick or Treat,
but it never fails that on a long flight of stairs,
one or two of the bigger kids will lift you up by your feet
put the tip of your trunk to the top step, and
tumble you down end over end. 
Believe me it's not easy keeping the candy in the
bag.
This isn't a joke, people.  This is virtual
reality.
 

I do not know about the elephant in the room.  I have seen them in Kruger Park that is about it.   If I may be so forward - I know a cute little joke.  Once I was at a party and knew very few people - I was shy and said little - they were telling jokes and suddenly out of my mouth came "I have a joke, too.  I am so little that they did not even know I was present - but after my joke every one paid attention to me.
 
                               What did the Elephant say to the naked man
 
                                         "how can you breathe through this little thing?"
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

and the music is here
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44Mf6BVxqB4

Here's my contribution for the day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgOQIo42oc0

"Bring in the Clowns...."

Digression, digression, digression.  Is there an elephant in the village?

Korthal - Thanks for the Baby Elephant Walk...that's the one I was thinking of.
 
However, I agree with Rusty that the lengthy digressions have proven our host's thesis that most people would rather ignore the elephant (or 800 lb. gorilla) in the room than deal with it.
 
As many uncomfortable topics do, this one has become a sandbar in the river....How is that working for you in De Nile? (denial?)

Troll - If the elephant in the USA room is energy, what do you suggest to replace fossil fuels? Some have tried wind, solar, and biofuel, but all those have their limitations. We can discuss it here if you have some alternative to explain to us.
 
Other elephants in the USA living room: HealthCare, bailouts, Cash for Clunkers, Stimulus funds, a biased media face, excusing politicians their unethical actions, lack of manufacturing because of foreign outsourcing, dealing with illegal immigrants and their anchor kids, adults ditching their responsibilites all over the place, and so on.....Our living room barely has room for the Constitution and a sofa anymore.

Touching on a serious side of the topic in the personal realm, part of the dilemna is balancing our relationships here in this venue. If I were to speak of the many elephants residing in "my room" I could seriously throw off the relaxed atmosphere of our Camaraderie.

It works both ways. The "elephant in the room" can be a destructive thing if ignored, or it can be an insurmountable barrier if fully, publicly disclosed. Each individual must decide for themselves if it is healthier to recognize and expose, or deal privately with their individual pachyderms.

I personally believe much damage has been done by well-intentioned individuals "outing" someone else's elephants when: a) It was none of their business; b) the person made vulnerable had no coping mechanisms or support network in place; c) the revealer's motives were in question.

Of course none of the above applies in cases of abuse that requires intervention, and I would in no way wish to return to the days of absolute silence in the face of tragic action and consequences. Elephants require sensitive care and handling, so I've been told.

When my younger brother was a toddler (he's 45 now), he always called elephants "snuffalumps".  To date, in my family, we still refer to those cumbersome, yet elegant beasts as "snuffs".  Yes, we do have a living room!  Recently my Grandson fell asleep on the floor clutching (you guessed it) his stuffed toy "snuffalump"

When my younger brother was a toddler (he's 45 now), he always called elephants "snuffalumps".  To date, in my family, we still refer to those cumbersome, yet elegant beasts as "snuffs".  Yes, we do have a living room!  Recently my Grandson fell asleep on the floor clutching (you guessed it) his stuffed toy "snuffalump"

Wishing All The People in This Village a Great and Enjoyable Weekend !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Y'all Be Safe and Stay Dry !!!  I Wish You Fun, Good Friends, Good Food, and Whatever Makes You Happy !!!!!!!  We are preparing for the Belmont Stakes Afternoon around here, with Speedwell Sandwiches, Russian Potato Salad, and plenty of Coldbeer ....... Y'all have Fun and Place Your Bets Early !!! (Master of The Hounds) (Hint!)
 
TO THE TRIBE:  I Wish You All a GOOD SHABBOS !!!!!!!
 
I Wish You Peace, Joy, and Rest ... That We May Be Pleasing Unto The Lord .......
 
Blessings Upon You All .......
 
 
IVAN

Ivan, thank you! Your Sabbath Blessing is cherished!

Blessings to you Ivan and tomorrow you can bring us up to "speed" on what a speedwell sandwich is!

You always have to come eye-to-eye with the elephants that always follow you around in your house; and not just ‘cos no one else is willing to follow them from room-to-room with a shovel to clean up their mess for you. 

I tried leaving a trail of peanuts to lure them out the back door, down the steps, up the alley, and onto a cross country bus once; but they never forget and they always return....and usually at the most inconvenient of times too.

My all your elephants be small and may their trunks be lifted upward.

Peace out....

The Political Elephant in the Congressional living room is ignoring that now the the average population size of congressional districts is nearly 700,000 up from the original 30,000 number. The US is becoming too large to govern in its traditional democratic sense and debts and tax revenue numbers become fantasy figures no one understands with no idea how to manage at a federal level. Imagine each congressman managing a 700,000 person corporation and in the case of the Senate only 100 members instead of over 500 in the House.
 
States are now and have always been in a sense actually little countries with economies larger than most nations particularly NY, California, and Texas. We are going to have to think out of the box in the future in terms of our viewing states and/or groups of states as federations of trading partners with unique qualitites best handled by local governments with better representation. Water, Power, Employment and Housing are just a few of the challenges. The future of effective governance needs to begin to be explored now so that future generations are prepared for continued growth and the problems that growth will present including resource conservation all the while trying to preserve a democratic form of representation. It is daunting and the pettiness of the two party system is frustrating.

May peace be with you, Ivan.

Interesting thoughts, Tommy.  Just a few evenings ago my alumni Education for Minestry  group was discussing our next reading.  The idea we finally decided to consider was the religious responsibility of cariing for this "Island Home" that is spinning in the universe.   You take our thoughts one step further by bringing in the population problem.  Consider the fact that it is not just here in the US.  China decreed one child, and now those children are having problems because they are not skilled in inter-relationships. 
 
Oh, my, there are some looming elephants, aren't there?

What happens when you cross a gnat with a giraffe? (Presumably the gnat is the male).

You get an ostrich.

Rusty- I love thinking of our planet as an Island, a mysterious and dangerous one where only the intrepid dare live and call home. We have so much work to do and yet we find valuable time to indulge ourselves with a ride on the Peterman Train steaming along like the Orient Express, each of us with interesting tales to tell. Exciting!...but you must excuse me time to dress for dinner and don't want to miss cocktail hour. And for the teetotalers, A Cherry "Lemonade Lucy" in honor of Rutherford B. Hayes. Cheers! 

Winnie the Pooh (the AA Milne version) saw Heffalumps in the Hundred Akre Woods.  They were the scariest things, heffalumps. 
 
Nobody else saw them but Pooh and maybe Piglet, Piglet being More Afraid Than Even Pooh of Heffalumps.
 
Was the heffalump in the wood a figment of their imaginations?  Were Pooh and Piglet's fears needless?  Were Pooh and Piglet being overly sensitive to the presense of Heffalumps?
 
Nobody knows.
 
To this day the heffalump in the woods remains only a legend, although Pooh isn't so Sure about that since he's beginning to hear Suspicious Heffalump Noises from the woods, but only on nights that have a 1 or a 2 in front of the other number.
 
 
The moral of the story is that this story, like many stories, doesn't have a moral.
 
 
 
On the other hand, if you hear a Heffalump in your woods, you might think it ought to. 
 

Thank you Ivan, and Good Shabbos to all

Mooseloop ~ Amen!  You're so absolutely right; please run for president; I'll vote for you.

The curve of her calf was like little streams of alcohol, trickling down the rocks.
 
<<Not exactly a mixed metaphor, but pretty danged close!>>

Then there's the classic from Dumbo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJv2Mugm2RI

Elephant in the room?  The U.S. deficit...Mr. Buffett doesn't even have enough peanuts for this one, and I wish he did.

I have been and still am "The Elephant in the Room".  The first time I realized it is when I went home with a portion of my husband's ashes to scatter in his favorite park in Upstate NY.  I had a memorial service for him there since most of his family and mine are from that area.  No one talks to me about being a widow.  My siblings never discussed anything about my huband's short bout with bladder cancer.  Out of seven of them only my youngest brother has.  I am not morbid about it, just want people to recognize it and proceed with our relationships.  They pretend like nothing has happened.  It has been three years...and still nothing has been said to me.  They make great efforts not to discuss it.
 
When I meet new people, either socially or at work, I am reluctant to mention that I am a widow. I do not like being the Elephant in the Room.  I sort feel like Hester Prynne...only with a big W sewn on my chest! 
 
So there you have it.  It feels like crap being the The Elephant in the Room.  Sometimes we just need to address it before it will go away and not be so burdensome.