Landing Forums General Discussion An Intriguing, but very "Squirrelly" experience

General Discussion

Topic: An Intriguing, but very "Squirrelly" experience - Cindy Started 8 years, 7 months ago

Viewing 7 posts - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)
Posted 9 years ago

Hello all,

I have wanted to share an experience which happened to me as I stayed for an additional day after the Journey Event at Mt Hood in July of this year. I was outdoors eating lunch alone on the patio outside the Altitude restaurant and enjoying fish and french fries. Not long after I had begun to eat, a squirrel came up onto the table with me and began to rather “jump” its way to the side of my plate which was right in front of me. With each “jump”, it seemed to be warning me that it was, “big and bad!” Then it stole a fry from the side of my plate very near to me and ran off with it into some shrub at the side of the patio! Well now…what an intriguing guest to dine with! The squirrel soon reappeared and gave the “big and bad” approach and helped itself to another fry! Hmmm! This went on to become many occurrences and so it was that I decided to be satisfied with just eating my fish and cold slaw and leaving the fries for my new found friend. The waiter came out to check on me and I told him of the occurrences with Squirrel and then he witnessed one of the events for himself. He said that he had not seen this occur before. Squirrel and I were then alone again and Squirrel began again to come and get a fry, (it seems to my memory that it had chosen after a while to not continue the “big and bad” approach). Now, however, Squirrel no longer was scampering back to cover of shrub, having begun choosing to take a fry and then go to the other side of the table opposite myself and dine in my presence. This too, occurred several times. Each time that Squirrel approached, I sat still and watched quietly and curiously as my lunch was shared. It seems that the creatures of the natural world who live in the area around the Resort where the Journey Event was held, are fairly comfortable with their human guests who come and stay for a while. This was a very fun and playful encounter which has stimulated my curiosity as to considerations of what may have occurred within me to draw a creature of the wild to come close.

Posted 8 years ago

Hi Cindy – Just read your story as I was searching to see who had been on the Community forum most recently. This is quite astounding, actually, even if the squirrel is somewhat “domesticated” by all of the guests in the area, it chose YOU to share your lunch with!!! AND . . . it IS still a wild animal! I think you responded in a much more loving place than I might have, as I would be thinking, “Ewwww . . . .squirrel . . . . rabies . . . .get away from my French fries!!!” Have you had any more experiences with the wild side of life since then? Wishing you well – Diane

Posted 8 years ago

Hi Diane,

I enjoyed reading your response to my entry about the squirrel. I just had found it interesting that this wild creature should choose to come so near, and it brought me to consider what changes might have occurred within me during the Journey Event. I wondered if I was in a more peaceful place at that time than I might usually be when engaged fully with everyday life. I wonder if I would have experienced this encounter with Squirrel had I been to the resort for a more usual vacation, for instance, and had not spent the days prior working to do the inner work that is shared at the Event for us to engage in. I have lots of squirrels that venture through my backyard on a daily basis here in Kansas. They are a different type of squirrel than the one I encountered in Oregon, and most of them are red squirrels, some are gray. I have a medium sized dog that spends time in the backyard so I would be surprised if any squirrel came to share lunch with me on the back deck at my home, though a few come to nibble at the bird feeders on the deck rail. I have recently completed the process of purchasing of a wee home a block from where I now reside. I am interested to see more wildlife in the backyard there as it ends in trees and a very small creek. It is a very quiet area. I have had encounters in my life with animals showing trust in me. Most of those encounters were ones in which I was more actively seeking to earn their trust. I have had encounters with working to earn the trust/friendship of some of the cows that I helped to care for when I grew up near this area where I currently live. We also had a lot of outdoor cats on that small farm and occasionally one of them just seemed to be more “wild” from birth and I always worked to gain a relationship of trust with those. I have felt a closeness with deer in that we have many in this area and they seem to choose to not have direct encounters with my vehicle, and I am very grateful to them for this, truly. They are beautiful, graceful creatures. I am very grateful to be able to connect with you through the Life School, Diane. I hope that you have a joyful and conscious Holiday and that you enjoy the peace of quiet winter days, as the “seeds” of Love within you continue to waken for you and guide you through a new year of inner abundance.

Love, Cindy

Posted 8 years ago

Cindy, thanks for sharing about your experiences with animals. I sense your appreciation and reverence for them. What do you notice in your body when you think or share about them?

Love,
Roxanne

Posted 8 years ago

Dear Cindy – Sounds like you are tuning in to your loving parts in quietly opening yourself to this connection with nature. Wishing you a peaceful holiday season also – Diane

Posted 8 years ago

Hi Roxanne,

I have taken an extended time to answer your response because I have not known how to answer your question about how I feel in my body when I think or share about animals. I have been working to notice how I feel when I am with my pet dog and share loving experiences together with him. I have remembered at times that I need to work to notice this, still I do not have an answer. I am grateful for the reminder to work on this. It is another part of my days in which I can work to pay attention to my emotions and experience/recognize them in ways so as to describe them with words which are more directly definitive than adjectives such as calm and joyful. Thank you for assisting me to see this as a meditative experience in which to connect with my inner experience.

Love, Cindy

Posted 8 years ago

Hi Cindy,

I, too, am working on noticing the pleasant sensations in my body when I am in loving parts of my personality as my intention is to cultivate those as I work on challenging my fps. I look forward to hearing more about your experiences.

Love,
Roxanne

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