Zimbabwe Absurdity

I can remember as a child that we had a book called Tales from Long Ago (or something like that, hey, it WAS long ago) which basically drew on the myths and legends of the ancient Greeks and Romans. One that particularly caught my imagination was the story of Pandora’s Box. The book is still around somewhere and I still have an over active imagination but I’ll just rely on memory for the story which I think is relevant.

Pandora being the curious girl that she was found this amazing old chest and despite having been warned by various powers that be not to open it just could not control her curiosity. She was after all being tempted badly by all the voicies inside begging to be let out. So, she opened the chest and out poured all the nasty things of the world that bit and stung and insulted. You know, malice, hate, jealousy etc. Too late she slammed the lid down but the damage was done. She sat there and cried and muttered and then when she’d got over it all she heard another voice begging to be let out. No way was she going to fall for that one again! But the voice was so pleading and kind that she eventually gave up and thinking that she could not really do any more damage she let the “thing” out. It was beautiful and waiflike, without any definable form but it was indeed kindly. As it flew away she said; “Wait, what are you?” (there’s NOTHING to beat a woman’s curiousity!) and a gentle voice drifted back “I am Hope”.

For a while earlier this week we dared to hope.