We are taking a little detour this week, with a quote that never made the final cut for our invites. In the search through our home library for quotes and inspiration I pulled out a book I had read end to end in just over a week earlier in the year. The book titled The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival was written by John Valliant, recounted the extraordinary events surrounding a series of Amur Tiger attacks in a Far East Russian community during 1997. Part thriller, part character study, part cultural documentary The Tiger mesmerised me with it's beauty and mystery.
Taking a step back to the 1980's – a time when Dire Straits' album Brothers in Arms ruled our music charts – I still remember the moment I first fell in love with these mysterious creatures.
It was at the Melbourne Zoo, and I was watching the tigers walk back and forth along the side of their immense cage. "What's the tiger's name?" I asked one of the zoo keepers nearby. "He's called Frank,' replied one of the keepers. And since that moment the tiger – nowadays closely followed by the wombat – became my favourite animal.
This brings me to one of the two charities Eva and I are supporting with our gift registry, 21st Century Tiger. The team at 21st Century Tiger are the leaders in tiger conservation worldwide supporting teams on the ground and consulting with governments to protect the remaining wild tigers in the world from the threats. If you could take a few minutes and learn more about what they do as well as support them in some way – financially or even through social media love – that would mean a great deal to us.
Now onto the quote,
“The impact of an attacking tiger can be compared to that of a piano falling on you from a second story window. But unlike the piano, the tiger is designed to do this, and the impact is only the beginning.”
Put simply, the quote describes the impact and ferocity of falling in love.
Enjoy,
CB
