Blog #522: He Stared. I Stared.

Unblinking…
he stared at me.

I stared back at him.

I started a conversation.
“So…how ya’ doin’ today, friend?”

He said nothing back.
Just more unblinking stares.

“Have big plans for the day?”
Again…he said nothing back.

“You’re lookin’ quite Zen this morning.”
That was me; I said that.

Seemingly tired of my staring and questions…
The tortoise turned and strolled away.
______

“Fibs.”

That’s him in the photo above.

He’s a Russian tortoise. He’s not a very big guy, but he’s super handsome and chill. He lives in an indoor condo decorated in a wilderness motif. When it’s warm weather, he spends days lounging in a large, four-corner protected area outside called “Fibs Fort.”

His favorite food is dandelions picked fresh almost daily, and he has shown a little craziness when consuming a juicy grape. He loves a good bath soak and can sun bathe all day. He has an extra interest in staring at two Chihuahuas he shares a room with…but they have zero interest in noticing him.

Fibs knows how to relax; he flows well with life. He is unbothered by the chaos that regularly exists around him. Dogs barking? No big deal. Breakfast late in coming? He doesn’t sweat it.

More?

Fibs doesn’t bring a bad “yesterday” into today. He never complains about small “dandelions,” and he doesn’t think about the negative stuff.

Stress?
Overwhelm?
Unmet expectations?

Fibs doesn’t go “there.”

He’s Zen.
______

It’s easy to think that I’m smarter than Fibs.

But am I?

Is mankind really smarter than tortoises?

It may be questionable.

If the ultimate “success” is survival, Fibs and his family have been around for 220+ million years.

Fibs doesn’t own a blood pressure monitor.

I do.
______

People?

We’re pretty great at creating and living a lot of non-Zennish days.

Harmony?
Joy?
Happiness?

They’re often unrelatable feelings.

Sometimes we seem to wake up bummed.
We wake up sad…disappointed…and grumbling.

And the feelings can grow as the day grows.

Stress?
Overwhelm?
Unmet expectations?

People are great at finding and feeling them.
______

As I write this…

I again stare at Fibs.
He again stares at me.

“I wish I had a lot more of what you have, my Zen friend.”
This time, his eyes answer.

Enjoy relaxing.
Make time to move.
Take comforting baths.
And don’t let barking dogs get to you.

So today?

I’m focusing on Lessons from a Tortoise.

And I’m not too arrogant to learn them.