Making Room
I live about 60 seconds by car from main street in our suburban town of 17,000, about 15 minutes from Providence and 30 minutes from Newport. We live on six acres which include a two-acre pond which is fed by a small river and exits over a waterfall to transit ponds and bays and eventually find the Atlantic, and which my wife absolutely forbids me to call a “lake.”
Two days ago, Buddy Beagle found a foot-long snake which apparently lives in the backyard just outside the kitchen door. Today, I came upon our neighbor who shares our common driveway gate, who found herself stymied because a large snapping turtle was parked in the middle of the access. Three of us maneuvered it out of the way by inverting a garbage can over it, while Koufax and Buddy (who had opened the truck window yet again) barked at it ferociously.
Once we negotiated that obstacle I was looking for the heron on the pond when the eagle flapped by twenty yards in front of the windshield. Wild Kingdom has nothing on us.
I live in delight and amazement at the varied animals that have “moved back in.” We have deer that come over the bridge and eat some of my wife’s plants, and wild turkeys that are very nonchalant since they are excellent flyers. Then there are the foxes, river otters, egrets, and so on.
I’m gladly making room for these animals because they enrich our lives. And they teach me how diverse organisms can adapt and thrive. They remind me that I should be doing the same—facing life with the intent of not merely surviving, but adjusting to the volatility and uncertainties of life by seeking to control my own fate.
It’s a good life when you can learn just from walking out your door. Of course, I’m increasingly careful about what I might step on.
© Alan Weiss 2010. All rights reserved.
Gary McMahon
G’day Alan
I’m an ecologist and learn things everday from my interactions with nature (luckily I can do this whilst providing my clients with their value) that I can apply to my business.
Getting rid of painfull clients (animal traits of leaving the weak behind for the benefit of the pack), breaking the ties with clients that wont let go (mother bird pushing a fledgling out of a nest), tenacity to stick to tasks to achieve an outcome (the perserverance needed over 5 years to remove ecologically damaging weeds from near pristine ecosystems), I could go on for ages but it’s amazing what you can see and apply if you keep your eyes and mind open (unfortunately not that common an occurance nowadays!).
Thanks for your words.
Cheers
Gary
Alan Weiss
Thanks for your observations. That mother bird is a strained analogy, but I get your point!
Sally Wright
This post reminded me why I’m your mentoree, Alan. thanks.