Around Capital AN ELEPHANT NEVER FORGETS Greeting Kiwanis Family, This issue I wanted to share with you a folk tale. A tourist was walking through an elephant camp when she spotted gigantic elephants nearby. Wanting to catch a glimpse of them from up close, she moved towards the elephants. As she got closer, she noticed that the only thing restraining the elephants were tiny pieces of rope tied to their legs. She was surprised by how such mammoth beings were being restrained by small pieces of rope. Noticing a trainer nearby, she went and asked him why the elephants didn’t escape when they could easily break away from the rope. The trainer said, “When the elephants were young, they were restrained using the same rope. Since they were much smaller then, they couldn’t escape. As they grew up, they continued to believe that the rope was much stronger than them. That’s why even now they do not try to break free.” The tourist was amazed. The elephants could break away from the rope anytime and escape. But just because they believed they couldn’t, they stayed as captives. Moral of the story: Always believe in your capabilities and be determined to fight anything life throws at you. This past year really challenged us all to ignore doubt and to stay true to our Kiwanis mission of improving the world, one child and one community at a time. It is my hope you will carry that strength with you as we break away and show others what Kiwanis is all about. Yours in service and love, Elana Gardner, Governor-Elect
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The Capital Kiwanian
