Meet Mr. Ken Allen. Ken Allen is an Orangutan that used to live in the San Diego Zoo. Today I read about Ken Allen for the first time.
Apparently Mr. Ken Allen wasn't your average primate. He was an escape artist. No matter what zoo keepers did, they could not keep him in his cage. One of the zoo keepers said, "He never seemed to mind being led back into his enclosure - he just seemed to enjoy the challenge of finding his way out." A psychiatrist actually said, "Ken Allen appeals to everyone's sense of breaking out. The irony of it is that he doesn't really want to leave. He breaks out, but doesn't go anywhere." He would simply wander around the zoo looking at the other animals. Zoo keepers often dressed as normal visitors at the zoo to try to catch Ken Allen sneaking out, but Ken was too smart for that. Eventually the other orangutans began to follow Ken Allen's lead and break out too. Ken Allen was eventually dubbed Harry Houdini. He was loved by many and eventually there was a fan club, t-shirts, bumper stickers, and songs created as a tribute.
Sadly, Ken Allen died in December 2000, but let's not forget the lesson. Break out! Take a moment to enjoy the world around you. Enjoy the challenge. Try something new. Be a leader. Spur others to action.
...Maybe this post has some eternal significance after all. Thank you, Mr. Ken Allen, for the life lesson. Who knew such wisdom could be gained from an orangutan. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. We are all God's creation.
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