Let Go Of The Banana

Photo Credit: MarcAndAngel.com

I heard a Hindu tale yesterday morning. Unfamiliar with the Hindu religion, this was a new story to me. The tale goes something like this:

A monkey finds a banana in a bottle. He grabs hold of it. But, when it comes time to take the banana, his hand and the banana will not fit through the hole. He stays there. Clinging to the banana. Refusing to part with his treasure. Finally, humans arrive. The monkey still clings to the banana even in the face of danger. He is trapped and caught, thus meeting his demise.

Now, I do not retell this little anecdote to put you in a sour mood about dead monkeys and banana theft.

Instead, I bring up the idea of "letting go." The monkey wanted the banana so badly that he held onto it until it literally killed him. This has been me many times in life. I wrapped myself up in the past and practically plastered it to every fiber of my being until it began to suffocate me. As I have begun to free myself from this miserable, itchy, uncomfortable veil of pain and suffering, people challenge me.

"But, it's your truth. How can you let that go? You're in denial. It's still there. You're living in a dream world."

The past is gone, though. It has taught me and I've learned from it. It's over. And all we have is this moment. Sounds a bit over-the-top ethereal and hippy-dippy-idealistic, but it's actually, literally true. If we all continue to hold onto things that are mere shadows, we'll be stuck in the dark. So, I have decided to free myself from the banana. I don't need it. It doesn't help me. It's a danger zone. It weighs me down and traps me in one place, vulnerable to death and depression.

Let go, my friends. There's a whole world beyond that one banana.

And yes. That's what she said.