Ganesha Guide Us

If you are reading this, you are one of our friends or family members that have chosen to follow us on our journey across the US.  I guess the first question you may be asking yourself is: “Why on earth would you call your blogsite White Elephants Wandering Westward”?

There are many symbolic reasons for this choice.  I will let you decide how you want receive the interpretation.  The primary reason for us is that the Hindu God, Ganesha (a white elephant) is considered to be the “remover of obstacles.”  While he has many other important rolses as the Lord of success and destroyer of evil, he is also worshipped as the god of education, knowledge, wisdom and wealth.  However, for us, we hope that he will keep our path free of any obstacles that get in our way. 

Wikipedia defines  “A white elephant is an idiom for a valuable possession of which its owner cannot dispose and whose cost (particularly cost of upkeep) is out of proportion to its usefulness or worth.” 

In Thailand, the white elephant is a symbol of royalty and power.  The Buddhist considers the white elephant a symbol of physical and mental strength, as well as responsibility and earthliness. 

In general, white elephants are rare and beautiful.

So, you interpret the meaning for yourselves and to be quite honest, the meaning of our blogsite name is really not nearly as important as the journey itself. 

REMEMBER:  “Doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live”