“Never point your finger at the moon or else the moon god will cut your ears tonight”, says grandma in a serious tone. The young me obeyed without questioning. Grandma is always right. There is an incident after this, that I pointed at the moon accidentally and I freaked out. The fear of my ears dropping out, hounded me constantly through the day. I will be touching my ears frequently to check if they are still there. That night I cant sleep as I was so fearful that my ears will be lost once I fall asleep. The tormenting fear kept me holding to my ears and fighting my sleep monster to stay awake.
The next moment I woke up in horror, realising that I have fallen asleep unknowingly. I clasped my ears with both hands and felt relief that they are still there. The moon god did not to cut my ears and as I sigh in relief, then a stinging pain came from behind my left ear. It felt and looks like a fresh wound. An abrasion that I did not notice yesterday. It must have been the moon god. So frighten by this that I rush to tell grandma on the happening. Then she chuckles awhile telling me that the moon god must have just given me a warning this time. So I better be obedient and not to do it again else I may lost my ears.
The pain, the happening and grandma’s words sink in so deep in me that I became so conscious of my pointing finger. Never dare to randomly point to the sky as I may again point at the moon accidentally. This taboo live with me for ages till my young adult years. I only mustered enough courage to test this taboo after learning much scientific facts on the moon. It is only then that I have this myth busted. I remembered clearly at that night of the testing I still had a nudging fear in me. And I have only dispel the fears of this taboo after many moons of testing and self proving.
Indeed taboo can be like a living curse for a person. Limiting their physicality, limiting their mentality, limiting them to a space that have been pre define. Taboo can have such a grip on a person that can transcend time, space in our mental and physical dimension.
In this moon pointing taboo that I experience, it must have passed down from my grandma’s parents or grandparents. And they must likely have received it from their parents or grandparents. Who knows how far the origin of this taboo is in time and how wide the reached is in space. God knows why is there a taboo like this created? A troll, a belief or even a miscommunication.
The thing is that if I have not challenge the fear of this taboo. Then to this day when someone ask where is the moon, I will point my chin to show the direction rather then my fingers. How sad is this, that I am held hostage to this taboo that may only be a joke from someone long before me.
Whenever one feels fearful or shameful by a topic, a situation or even a thought. One most probably have a taboo on it. Taboo is like a red tape that cordon off the surrounding that one is restricted too. It restrict the flow of life. Restricting life only to the area that is lighted by the taboo and the areas restricted by the taboo is dark as it is protected by fear and shame.
Facing our taboo is a path facing one’s fear and shame. Casting our courageous light towards the darkness of our taboo will create and make more space for our life. Breaking our cage of ignorances and allow our life to grow in abundance. Let there be courage to switch on our torch light of bravery and to explore beyond the shadows cast by our taboo.