Karma Monkey

My best pal Viv and I were chatting as I was stalking the elusive perfect new comforter for the bed yesterday (thanks unlimited weekend minutes). We had both received good news that week. She had passed her real estate broker’s exam on the first try and a difficult listing was about to be sold. I had been to the tax lady and could now afford said new comforter.

 

I was telling her it must be a shift in the earth’s karma because of “me.” Everyone else’s karma was benefitting as well, because I had it all going on—I was getting parking in front of stores, hitting green lights, finding sales for everything I needed, and getting a tax refund—how does it get any better than that, I joked? My positive karma shifted so mightily and was so strong right now—the great karma ripple effect was occurring. Her hard studying and excellent sales skills would have nothing to do with it—it was all about me! Then we fell into hysterics over this ridiculous assertion. She said it was like the 100^th Monkey Theory—I must be the 100^th Monkey.

 

I’ve never been called a monkey before, though I’ve probably deserved it. I would also prefer to be the 1^st Monkey if I’m going to be a monkey, but this was a concept I hadn’t heard before. Google to the rescue.

 

It seems that Ken Keyes wrote about these monkeys in Japan in the mid-1950s who had been eating dirty, filthy sweet potatoes until this particular young female monkey figured out they tasted better if she washed them. Soon, all the other young monkeys were washing theirs. Then, some of the older monkeys started to wash theirs, and now their number was 99—then a breakthrough—one day, the 100^th monkey figured it out, causing a ripple effect of “added energy” that caused the entire monkey tribe to starting washing their sweet potatoes. And, before they knew it, monkeys on neighboring islands were also observed washing theirs until all the monkeys had clean sweet potatoes. Keyes was trying to draw the parallel that it takes just one person to effect social change.

 

Monkey change agent though I am, after hours of shopping, I went home dejected and comforter-less, and realized that karma must have shifted once again.

 

Your problem isn't karma, Sheldon, it's attitude!" "Well, Lonnie, maybe it's attitudinal karma!
~ Anonymous

Originally Published:  Feb 26, 2006