“Foxes occupy a unique place among
animal stereotypes. They can be good guys, bad guys, or completely
neutral, but they're always crafty, clever, and cunning. Their sly
nature sometimes results in illegal actives, so it's not uncommon to
see them portrayed as thieves or con-artists; in other words, they're
a classic Trickster Archetype
In folklore, the trickster is
incarnated as a clever, mischievous man or creature (typically the
fox), who tries to survive the dangers and challenges of the world
using trickery and deceit as a defense. For example many typical
fairy tales have the King who wants to find the best groom for his
daughter by ordering several trials. No brave and valiant prince or
knight manages to win them, until a poor and simple peasant comes.
With the help of his wits and cleverness, instead of fighting, he
evades or fools monsters, villains and dangers with unorthodox
strategies. Therefore the most unlikely candidate passes the trials
and receives the reward, the King's daughter. A modern example would
be seen in the character of Bugs Bunny.”
**
“I've been reading your blog...it's
NUTTY! You say anything you want in it!” says Diane, a very old
friend from years ago.
“Diane, you've known me since I was
what? Twenty-three? You're just finding that out?”
“True...you're more crazy like a fox.
But others won't get that, I knew others who
would just shake their head at the stuff you said or did. I
knew you were screwing with them, they didn't.”
She says.
I say, “That's the point! Foxes
intentionally act irrational or hyperbolic in order to throw off the
competition! Plus, it's fun screwing around. SO WHAT if I lowered
people's view of me, their estimation of me, that's a tactic. And if
it initially costs me some street cred, so what, the pay off in the
end was larger.”
She goes on. “Damn, you were always
soo competitive then, in your own odd ways. I'd watch you completely
enjoy playing those games you did then...you devious little bastard!”
“I'm not a bastard...I
am a FOX!”
“You've outfoxed yourself a number of
times, you know.” she goes on.
I admit it. “Yeah, that's when I
lose control of the game, I get taken up by it and nail myself with
my own tricks. If there was something I wanted, the trick is to make
sure the opponent doesn't know what I want, hide how I was going
about to get it and then send them down the wrong trail when they
finally become aware something is up...without falling into my own
trickery.”
“Uh-huh...and I've seen you convict
yourself with your own mouth when you tripped up.” Diane says.
“Ummm...I didn't win them all, but I
had wicked fun doing it!”
Diane thinks for a moment. “You know,
I swear you are still competing against your own Dad.”
“Good girl! You know me well. He was
my main competitor at times...and a good one. Where do you think I
learned these tricks from? And he competed against me too, don't
forget!”
**
I admit it. I loved trickery. The best
“wins” were when someone was trying to outsmart me and then I
used their own game to defeat them. Whether it be gossip, family
life, relationships or just general everyday life, it was fun to
defeat someone who was playing the same game as I was. We compete
for food, mates, money, attention, the TV channel and a host of other
things great and small. To win, you use your best talents.
And why?
Because growing up in a family teaches
you this from a very early age. Every family has it's own little
dynamic that pretty much every member understands. The rules for it
are known and everyone in the family plays their part. Everyone will do what they can to satisfy their wants or needs within that family. Dysfunctional
family you say? Find me one that isn't! Families too play foxy games with the world at large too.
Of course, the trick here too is to
display to the neighborhood a family gleaming with shiny mental
hygiene. Little Jimmy is on the honor roll. Suzie scored the winning
goal in soccer. (But don't speak of little Billy when you had to take
the cat to the vet after he nearly bit the tail in half!). Show the
world how stable you are and never let a family problem or argument
spill out into the front yard where everyone can see or hear it.
Though that is entertaining...watching
some family go hog wild with everything that's been pent up for
weeks, on the front lawn, for all to see and hear. A true SCREAMFEST.
I digress...
We all learn how to live life by
learning it early from our families. I haven't seen one family that
was so perfect that the members didn't learn various “ugly”
talents in order to navigate them. We all experienced this and we all
have our ugly talents. It's human. Period.
When my Dad said, “No, you can't do
this or that,” I found a way around it. If not, I led him down a
path that had him acquiescing to it. Well, I didn't win all the time
but I scored rather well usually. That's my ugly talent. I can be a
fox and seem nutty. But there's a motive behind it all.
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