The Caged Monkey

I was reading this article about how they catch monkeys in the wild.  Essentially, they set up these cages and line the cages with sugar cane and bananas--bananas being the key temptation.  The man writing the article witnessed firsthand how one of the monkeys got trapped.  The monkey paused outside the cage, turned around and left (maybe on an instinctual level, he knew).  But then he came back.  I mean it was bananas, right?!  Who can resist bananas?  So the monkey comes back.  Pauses again.  Breathes.  Takes a step forward.  Hesitantly.  Then fearlessly.  Basically ignores the sugar cane and heads straight to the banana.  Hand on the banana, the trap falls.  Cage closes.  Freedom gone.  (The account goes onto to describe how horribly they treat the monkey, but that's fodder for a whole other entry).

As I read about this, I couldn't stop wondering how many bananas I have stupidly, perilously, chased after myself.  How much of ourselves do we lose because we just can't resist the temptation?  How often do we ignore the inner warning bells that siren and siren alerting us to danger, all for a stupid banana?  I mean think about it...that monkey lost its freedom and essentially life as it knew it for a banana.

I certainly hope I don't ever trade my true freedom over something that insignificant.