The trinket in this photo belonged to my paternal grandmother, who died on 09-Dec-2013. This inexpensive tourist keepsake sits on the desk in my home office, a small memorial to a kind woman. I do not know where or when she acquired the item, but it is at least 20 years old. Today is the 8th anniversary of her death, and I called my parents to share my gratitude for my personal relationship with Granny and to ask about the trinket. During the call, my mother shared an anecdote of Granny remembering my parents’ names and identities until the days immediately before her death while not remembering other close relatives and friends that she had known since her childhood. My mother was not bragging about that difference, but rather was acknowledging a connection across the generations. My sense is that the days my parents spent caring for Granny in the last decade of her life was time well spent and incredibly fulfilling.

The three wise monkeys are thought of in America as “hear no evil, speak no evil, and see no evil”. While growing up, I thought this was a reference to turning a blind eye to the misdeeds of others. I recall hearing the phrase used as a joke. In my adult years – through multiple trips to Japan and exposure to Pure Land Buddhism – I now understand the monkeys represent humans and provide instruction on viewpoints, speech, and actions. Turning a blind eye can mean noticing an interaction but not judging or mentioning the misdeeds of others. How difficult is that? Since I don’t see temple carvings every day or at all in America like I do in Japan, this desktop figurine serves as a daily reminder of these instructions and also contributes to awareness when my life is not aligned to the practices that serve me. Visual cues have a strong influence on my awareness. I purposefully chose not to store the monkeys out of sight during the last year of dissonance between my values and the conditions of my employment. The conditions were not wrong or bad or damaging but were not aligned to my values. The resulting dissatisfaction was intense for me. Such is life in many workplaces, although more people are taking action in 2021 by changing employers, choosing to not work, or retiring. In my experience, the turnover during 2021 is not the Great Resignation in America. That label is a euphemism for a harsher and more unpleasant truth. This is the Great Rejection of economic models, working conditions, and transactional relationships. All topics for future posts.

The monkeys were in my hand today as I resigned from my employer of the last four years in order to pursue a more diligent path of self discovery and alignment of actions to values. A break from employment will begin in January 2022. Thank you, Granny.