Hecate and Gracie, Together Again

There are no egos in The Wild. Not for long, anyway

For about a week, Gracie and Hecate didn’t dine together. Regular readers may remember our previous post about these BFFs and we were concerned when we’d see Gracie or Hecate for a bit. Then one would come, not the other.

Not sure what happened.

Did these BFFs have a falling out?

In The Wild?

Such things don’t happen. Different species will often have overlapping territories. Members of the same species usually don’t unless they’re pack, colony, hive, et cetera, creatures.

Overlapping territories easily occur with different species when they require different resources; a turkey and a raccoon don’t go after the same food supplies.

This brings us to another territorial constraint; same or similar resource requirements. Example: two relatively equal predators usually don’t mark out the same territory. Unequal predators – fox and bear, for example – will have overlapping territories and you know the fox isn’t going to challenge the bear for a bit of food.

In any case, the rules of The Wild make good precedent for us Two-Leggers: Respect your neighbors. Clean up after yourself. Share when you can. There are no egos in The Wild. There can’t be. Egos are expensive and never worth their cost. Rules are simpler in The Wild. There are no empty threats; if Old One A shows a territorial display and you insist on invading A’s territory, A will respond with force to get you out of its territory. Two-Leggers are always making empty threats, most times because they don’t know what’s their territory and what isn’t; the border between selfish and selfless is poorly defined or doesn’t exist at all. Ego kicks in and attempts to create a territory where one doesn’t exist.

And Gracie and Hecate are together again. The borders are intact. We’re glad.

 
Besides, they were probably off visiting friends.

DeHavilland On the Town

Sometimes you need some time alone

I recently had the good fortune to eavesdrop on Cuthbert and DeHavilland talking politics during a meal.

It was fascinating, learning how different species deal with similar challenges. Fox kits and Raccoon kits; what can you do? Well, I don’t know. What do you do when they are banned from certain stores in the mall? Or certain trees in the forest? Or certain streams in the glen?

And chores. Is there ever an end to them? If it’s not another perch for the children it’s more grass for the den.

And heaven forbid you bring home the wrong gurge. This one wants chipmunk, that one wants pigeon! I tell them, I only have two paws, you know. You want something special, how about you go out foraging and find something for yourself? But no, they have their faces buried in their iWilds, tapping and swiping. This one’s addicted to Turkey Crush, that one’s listening to Red Hot Squirrel Feathers. I can’t keep up.

Hence the enjoyment of a night out on your own, quiet, enjoying the stars and saying hi, a welcome nod, to passersby.

Ah, it’s a good thing.

 

Owen and Jessica – Narration

Oh, dear! You’ve cut yourself!

I shared the written Owen and Jessica in a previous post. This recording was done at a Fiction Slam held at a local pub (I got 2nd place).

(we’re still taking a break from the steady diet of Empty Sky. I’ll return to it in next week, promise).

Do let me know what you think. Suggestions for improving this are quite welcome.

Click on the “post” above to open the story in a separate tab/window if you wish to read along side.

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Cuthbert and DeHavilland Dine

Friends can agree to disagree and still remain friends. Really. It’s true. I’ve seen it happen.

Early one recent morning I became privy to an intense conversation taking place in our backyard.

Can you tell I’ve been reading lots of early 20th century authors?

Anyway, this fine morning, the stars still out and the sun yet to shrug off sleepiness, an intense conversation.

No conflict, no raised voices, no threats, simply two friends enjoying each other’s cerebrations over a good meal.

Have you ever had that joy? Being with someone you love and admire, someone who’s intellect alone brings you joy, someone whose each word opens vistas previously unknown to you?

Ah, it is a joy.

It is also, for me and alas, a challenge to find. People are often too opinionated. They state what they heard, not what they know. They don’t question information so much as naively accept it as if it were inscribed on the Third Tablet from Mount Horeb.

I don’t mind opinions so long as the opinionator understands I may have one that differs.

It is in the differences that we learn.

Or I do, anyway.

It’s nice to find refuge in those of a similar mind, similar opinion, yes.

How much more glorious to find refuge with those with whom you disagree? To know that here there is safe argument, there is welcomed dissent, to be envigored in the arms of mutual respect, concern and a desire to understand all viewpoints, …

And now the kicker; to agree to disagree and still be friends.

This is prevalent in The Wild, as witnessed by Cuthbert and DeHavilland.

Enjoy your discussion, friends. I can but sit and admire.

 
PS) DeHavilland is the shy one.

The Cultural Anthropologist Visits His Friends

Sometimes Our Simple Joys Are Casualties to Our Awareness

Fascinating experience about a year back.

We visited a friend. He invited us to his house. We’d never been. The plan was to get together for dinner. We brought dessert (Susan makes killer desserts. The main course is often the vector to her dessert concoctions).

We arrived, rang the bell, the door opened, we were greeted. The dessert was put in the kitchen next to a big bowl of salad (talk about nutritional contrasts), our coats were taken (it was mid-March) and then…

And then our friend gave us a tour of their house.

A quick race up the stairs and “This is the guest room. This is the our bedroom. This is Virginia’s office. Here’s the upstairs bath.” Back down stairs. “This is the kitchen. This is the dining room. This is the living room.” Through a french door. “This is our deck. We’ll be dining here, tonight.” There was a chiminea, thank god for warmth (we planned to do some stargazing. I didn’t realize he meant during dinner). Quickly back through the french door and “Here’s the downstairs bathroom and that brings us back to the kitchen.”

How nice. We were almost out of breath.

But we weren’t done.

“And in the basement…”

We only came for a friendly dinner. We’re not here to purchase. What was this about?

The entire time our friend smiled. Virginia chuckled (we learned later she’d been through this before and had learned to enjoy the experience). It was an odd smile. Not happiness so much as joyful. Almost proud or prideful.

We were smiling and thoroughly confused.

Some three hours later, on our way home from a pleasant evening, Susan asked, “What was that about?”

The cultural anthropologist in me was already on the case. “I’m not sure. Some kind of tribal thing, I’m sure. I’ll ask when I think it’s appropriate.”

Now, something you need to know; if you’re Joseph’s friend, your actions, thoughts, words, statements, language, behaviors, … everything becomes storyfodder. Do something that intrigues me and I’m going to ask you questions about it.

Hence about three months ago, during lunch, “Bob, remember that first time we came over?” He nodded. “Was there a reason you gave us a tour of your house?”

Bob stared at me. “I gave you a tour of our house?” I described our first five minutes visiting. “Wow. I don’t even remember doing that.”
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