Say Hello To My Little Friend

Say Hello To My Little Friend

I had an interesting, though brief encounter yesterday morning. For those of you who can’t see the picture it’s of a squirrel hiding, partially, under a bush.

Squirrels aren’t uncommon of course, I live in a suburban area and there are several in the local trees.

No, this one struck me as odd as it was standing right in front of my door as I approached and I expected it would race off like a bat out of Hell. But it didn’t. It froze. I froze, and then it relaxed.

Oddly it came toward me, not directly, I was standing next to the bush you see it under in the connected picture but still it got closer and I took a wide slow walk around it. It tucked under the bush to nibble on a discarded corn husk (from Saturday’s BBQ) and just kinda hung out while I stood at the door and took a few pictures.

And I thought, “there’s a lesson in this.”

We are terrifying creatures, humans that is, and we individually may be terrifying people, especially to those smaller than us. Be they children, young adults or people who are just short in comparison to ourselves. It’s easy to loom, to bull over other with your presence, regardless of your size. And if you are in an environment of high energy it’s easy to get used to throwing that presence around as a matter of necessity.

Unfortunately that may make it easy to miss the people intimidated by that, those who shrink away from the volume and the energy, who are easily forgotten.

Don’t forget these people. A lot can be gained by stopping before you take a step forward to make sure you’re not hurting anyone. That you are making space for the little people just trying to get by.

And you’ll appreciate it when you are the little person just trying to get by when others louder, and larger than yourself take a moment to make space for you. Sometimes you’re the human, sometimes you’re the squirrel.

So be mindful of our little fury friends, and our not so fury little friends.

Thank you and God bless;

~ S. Wallace