The Symbol of the Elephant..

Last evening I saw images of Elephants, many of them - eating and playing, some young, some old. It is a special symbol in many cultures. In Africa and in the East in particular, they are sacred and noble animals and are depicited in much folklore and mythologies through out the ages. They are a symbol of wisdom and great strength because of their incredible interligence and long lifespan. They are the largest animals to walk the earth. Actually, there are only 600,00 elephants left in the wild today and are now on the endangered species list because of illegal poaching. In Africa, they will most definately become extinct if illegal hunting for ivory tusks does not stop. It is a great shame as the tusks are taken and the rest of the animal is just left to rot. It is an awful waste.This is really terrible as they carry such important spiritual significance as symbols within many of these cultures and are a major intergral part of our fragile eco-system. The environment is not a political or racial tool, we all suffer if not approached with care and caution.They are truly very beautiful and majestic animals. I think I shall make them my pet project in 2011. On a point of levity, my elephants turned into 'Dumbo', the character of a baby elephant who learns to fly with his gigantic ears. It left me laughing as this was a favorite children's story of mine when I was young and it reminded me not to take things so seriously as the only thing I do claim with confidence is that the imagination can lead and inspire. I believe it can change the world and make it a better place to live in.Today I woke up wanting to paint elephants- lots of them. I think I shall. I am no great environmentalist and know I can make more of an effort to be one but I think returning to 'earth' culture means exactly that, being more environmentally conscious as protectors and caretakers of the land for future generations - all is sacred under the Sun. I shall try to play my little part...peace...incidently, I will try to give up smoking this year as well, it is an extraoridnarly bad habit I have...wish me luck!