Source: Chris Skinner’s BLOG

It’s 2021 and the elephant is really smelly. I don’t think he’s washed since 2019, so I finally managed to persuade him not only to stay in the room, but that he needed to wash and shower.

[The elephant represents the economy and this is the eighth conversation with him in a series]

As we stood in the shower together – I still had my pants on, fyi – the elephant looked happier.

ME: You like the shower?

ELEPHANT: It’s nice. I feel better.

ME: Soap?

ELEPHANT: Do you have a nice one?

ME: I have this spice and lavender mix.

ELEPHANT: Let me smell it.

The elephant extended his trunk and sniffed.

ELEPHANT: I guess it will do.

ME: So, have you made a New Year’s Resolution?

ELEPHANT: What’s that?

ME: A New Year’s Resolution? Something you will do in 2021 that you didn’t do in 2020, but you feel you should have done.

ELEPHANT: Like what?

ME: Like diet, lose weight, exercise more, give up eating donuts.

ELEPHANT: I don’t eat donuts.

ME: I know, but you get the idea. You resolve to do something differently this year compared to last. To make yourself better.

ELEPHANT: But I’m wonderful.

ME: You are, but you  lost weight last year and you were nasty and smelly. Maybe you should shower more.

ELEPHANT: OK, that’s my New Year’s Resolution. I will shower more.

ME: That sounds good.

I liked the idea of a nice, clean, good-smelling economy.

ELEPHANT: What about the bird?

[the bird represents the future]

ME: What about the bird?

ELEPHANT: Shouldn’t the bird shower too?

ME: But the bird doesn’t smell like you.

ELEPHANT: Why?

ME: Because when it drops its’ waste it falls to the ground as the bird is in the air.

ELEPHANT: And me?

ME: When you drop your waste, it falls all over us, everywhere.

ELEPHANT: So?

ME: So, the bird’s crap is not as stinky as yours.

ELEPHANT: Are you saying I’m full of crap?

ME: Well, you said it yourself.

ELEPHANT: What?

ME: You’re the economy and not an economist.

ELEPHANT: You’re saying the economy is full of crap?

ME: No. I’m saying that most things to do with economists is full of rubbish.

The elephant looked perplexed as he soaped his armpits.

ELEPHANT: But I thought economists were meant to be really intelligent.

ME: Many of them are.

ELEPHANT: But how can people so intelligent be so rubbish, if what you’re saying is right?

ME: Because they have no idea where you’re going to go next.

ELEPHANT: But they do know. I’m the elephant in the room.

ME: I know that. You know that. They don’t know that. They can’t see you.

ELEPHANT: They can’t see me?

ME: They can’t see you.

ELEPHANT: So, how do you see me?

That stumped me. I put soap on the elephant’s back.

ME: I guess I see you because you showed yourself to me.

ELEPHANT: But I never hid.

ME: I know that. You know that. But they don’t know that.

ELEPHANT: Does that mean they can’t see the bird either?

ME: I guess not.

ELEPHANT: So, what’s an economist here for?

ME: To guess what the future might be.

ELEPHANT: They just need to see the bird.

ME: I know.

ELEPHANT: And if they saw the bird, they could see me.

ME: I know.

ELEPHANT: Where is the bird, by the way?

I wasn’t sure. We towelled down and went back to the lounge. The bird was on the window-sill. I don’t keep him in a cage anymore. You can’t cage the future. After making a nice cup of tea, we all sat together.

ME: Bird? What’s going to happen this year?

The bird tapped away in morse code as usual.

ELEPHANT: What did he say?

ME: I thought you understood his code now?

ELEPHANT: No.

ME: He says 2021 will be good.

ELEPHANT: How does he know?

ME: Bird, tell me more. How do you know?

The bird tapped.

ME: He says he just knows and that, by summer, everything will start feeling normal again.

ELEPHANT: A new normal?

ME: A new normal, yes. But normal.

The elephant smiled. The bird went for a fly around. I drank my tea and snoozed. As I slept, I dreamed about the summer and wondered if it really would be normal. What does normal look like? Is this the new normal?