The word Chameleon has its roots in Greek and means "on the earth, on the ground, lion." Now that is pretty weird because it looks nothing like the lion. Now the reason I am writing this is not to give you a picture of the scientific gobbledygook about chameleons. If you thought that you obviously did not know that science was my least favorite period in school, my favorite being sports. Now that speaks a lot about how much you know me as well, and why on earth am I going off topic.
Damn. I have a short attention span. Well the most widely known characteristic about the chameleon is that it changes its color. Some say it changes its color according to the environment it is in and that sounds ‘cooler’ so I shall go with that. Now people often take on the color of the environment they are in too, they blend in with their surroundings and camouflage themselves with the society they live in. And then you try and belong, you do everything in your power to be as ‘like’ others as you can and you forget that you were created unique.
Sometimes we feel that what is around us is erroneous or there is the craving to do things differently but the pressure is just too much and most of us cave in under its weight. Hence we take the easy way out. And we start believing all of what is told to us. Religion, marriage, birds and bees, gender, rituals, life, death and the list in endless. And sometimes it’s so ridiculous that if you ever took the time to step out of yourself and view it objectively you would laugh and how base a thing your life is.
As kids we are in the “why” stage from about 3 years old to about 8. [Let’s listen to some of the stuff you have heard as kids.]
“Mel, do your studies”
Why?
Because you need to get good marks
Why?
Because you need to get into a good college
Why?
So that you will get a good job
Why?
So that you will earn lots of money
Why?
So that you will get a good girl to get married to, because no girl will marry you if you don’t have a lots of money
[For most of us this is where we became the chameleon] Not me though. [And now the process is reversed]
But I don’t want to get married
Why?
Because I don’t like girls
Why?
Because I only love football and girls don’t play football. In fact I want to grow up and be a football player like Pele
Why?
[And it just goes on]
You see it was told to us at that age that marriage is the ultimate thing to achieve and it was important to have lots of money to get married. No wonder I always thought the girls were after my money and I refuse to get married.
The Greek roots now come into play. Here is the lion. Damn it! This chameleon refuses to blend in and insists on being “outstanding”.
Damn. I have a short attention span. Well the most widely known characteristic about the chameleon is that it changes its color. Some say it changes its color according to the environment it is in and that sounds ‘cooler’ so I shall go with that. Now people often take on the color of the environment they are in too, they blend in with their surroundings and camouflage themselves with the society they live in. And then you try and belong, you do everything in your power to be as ‘like’ others as you can and you forget that you were created unique.
Sometimes we feel that what is around us is erroneous or there is the craving to do things differently but the pressure is just too much and most of us cave in under its weight. Hence we take the easy way out. And we start believing all of what is told to us. Religion, marriage, birds and bees, gender, rituals, life, death and the list in endless. And sometimes it’s so ridiculous that if you ever took the time to step out of yourself and view it objectively you would laugh and how base a thing your life is.
As kids we are in the “why” stage from about 3 years old to about 8. [Let’s listen to some of the stuff you have heard as kids.]
“Mel, do your studies”
Why?
Because you need to get good marks
Why?
Because you need to get into a good college
Why?
So that you will get a good job
Why?
So that you will earn lots of money
Why?
So that you will get a good girl to get married to, because no girl will marry you if you don’t have a lots of money
[For most of us this is where we became the chameleon] Not me though. [And now the process is reversed]
But I don’t want to get married
Why?
Because I don’t like girls
Why?
Because I only love football and girls don’t play football. In fact I want to grow up and be a football player like Pele
Why?
[And it just goes on]
You see it was told to us at that age that marriage is the ultimate thing to achieve and it was important to have lots of money to get married. No wonder I always thought the girls were after my money and I refuse to get married.
The Greek roots now come into play. Here is the lion. Damn it! This chameleon refuses to blend in and insists on being “outstanding”.
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