Life Askew

By Julia Galosy

True Love Never Runs Smooth

Elephant palm

 

It has taken me a long, long time. For some reason, we cacti only grow about an inch a year. My man, however, was already 70 years old when I was a little bulb. Don´t scoff. Seventy years is nothing for an Elephant Palm. I have been nestled against him for my whole life. Started as a tiny sprout, like those two you can see in the photo inching their way up his trunk too. I have a VERY big head start, so no jealousy there.

Besides I can suck up all the water before it gets to them and they will have to just shrivel up and die. Sounds gruesome I know, but sometimes it’s necessary to jettison your rivals.

He is so stalwart. Never complains. Always supports me as I climb slowly up his torso. Maybe you don´t approve of inter-species relationships. Too bad for you. You limit your own choices. It´s pretty clear that even though we are so different, we fit together perfectly. For the first twenty years or so I couldn´t see his head, only the shoulders of his outstretched arms, and his trunk, of course.

I´m getting there though. I have been relaxing for awhile, leaning against him all the way up to his arm pit. My head nestles in the little crevices formed there. I can see the tops of his arms now. I can feel his heart beating.

Just about twenty years to go and I hope to be able to entice him to give me a hug.

Ed. Note: Writer’s Bio--Background  Ph.D. in Organization Psychology.  Currently professor online at GlobalNxt in Kuala Lumpur, and Management Center Innsbruck, Austria, residence and online. Topics: Leadership, Communication, Leading Global and Virtual Teams, Creativity, Ethics, Culture, Perception, Cognitive Styles, Leading Large-Scale Organization Change, Cultural Diversity.

 

 

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