Animal Farm 2020

We are unofficially at war in 2020 – – a horrendous political, psychological and cultural struggle tugging at the foundation of the United States of America. The different stakeholders in the struggle have expressed diverse views “unveiling” the hidden polarization within our society. To reiterate or debate these views is not my purpose today in spite of the ambiguity related to the upcoming presidential election and the expectation for a peaceful transfer of power no matter the outcome. My goal is to highlight the attributes and qualities that makes us divinely human as a collective. Yes, we can be tribal believing the “US” versus “THEM”  mentality. But in reality, every great artist, sage and spiritualist has shared a vision describing the “ONENESS” of humanity and the notion that l-o-v-e and our ability to consciously express this emotion towards others is what makes us different from animals.

As we approach the end of September, I thought about how the animal kingdom might view “US” wondering why the universe allegedly made them“inferior” to humans. During the pandemic, the animal kingdom has continued to proceed with their natural life cycles (birth, procreation, death) maintaining a kind of collaboration, grace and harmony quite different from mankind’s current struggles. Some have even flourished since humans have been in quarantine leaving their natural habitats and mother nature alone. This point led me to recall one of my favorite books, Animal Farm, by the fantastic author, George Orwell, describing a group of farm animals who rebel against the owner of their farm hoping to create a society where the animals can be free, equal and happy. Does this sound familiar? The animals were severely mistreated by the farmer, Mr. Jones, establishing the conditions ripe for an eventual coup. Ultimately, however, the rebellion is betrayed from within, and the farm ends up in a state far worse than it was before. This time, the mistreatment of the farm animals is administered under the harsh dictatorship from one of their own kind – – a pig named Napoleon who assumes the leadership style and human persona of the previous farmer. Wow! Interestingly, mankind also exhibits this very same type of behavior along with human betrayals within our political structures in every modern country.

George Orwell wrote this allegorical novella (fable) in response to the events leading up to the Russian Revolution in 1917 and the Stalinist era of the Soviet Union. His famous book mirrored the historical events describing the natural human inclination to seek freedom and the instinct to pursue it at all costs under the right conditions. Revolution is one such action mankind will undertake if circumstances warrant it. Yet, there always remains hope for a peaceful change (transition or trans-form-ation) – – a sliver of light that can elevate the opposing debates to reveal the greater good and opportunities for creating balance and justice for ALL. When people open their eyes to their full humanity – – void of fear, hatred, selfishness “unveiling” the love within not just towards members of one’s own tribe – – humans start to demonstrate why we’ve held the position of being the designated “stewards” over the earth. Perhaps, it is necessary for “US” to experience a societal collapse before receiving the opportunity for an unprecedented rebirth. This phenomenon is even true in the natural world as demonstrated by animals for centuries as the cycles of life and death go round and round.

The pursuit of freedom and other democratic ideals are always in a precarious position as demonstrated in our modern world and within Animal Farm. George Orwell very astutely describes how the animals’ ideals about freedom are ultimately betrayed when POWER is up for grabs. The same case can be made today within our own political parties. Many efforts to stop the onslaught of injustices violating these higher ideals and principles are often thwarted before ever materializing. Perhaps, the biblical prediction of “Babylon Falling” is based upon “US”. We must all brace ourselves for the unexpected knowing that you cannot have “light” without “darkness” (duality intertwined). But, the final outcome is not for certain as long as there exists a sliver of light within our collective hearts ignited to change for the better. A Nu earth could be the final outcome when we fully understand that our collective human connections matter. 

I read a story in a magazine about a same sex marriage between Alexus Ade-Chuol and model Aweng Ade-Chuol. One of the partners expressed a very heart felt observation about the audacity of love and the human condition. It was beautifully poignant and simple making me smile for the inherent joy expressed within her comments. Love is still the highest vibrational expression we, as humans, can demonstrate. Some may be preparing for the worse (yeah me too following my earthquake awakening) but I refuse to lose the one quality that makes me divinely human. No matter what atrocities we’ve experienced as a collective, the need for community and love have propelled us forward little by little towards a more perfect society. We cannot give up now even if some unpredictable drama is about to hit the proverbial fan. Where there’s no vision, the people perish – – right? So, hold on to your hope and the dream for a better tomorrow. Both will guide us towards the next steps for rebuilding our Nu Amẹríkà.