“I’m not entirely sure this wild growth is normal, all bound up as it is with a late snow, followed by an oppressive heat wave. The plants seem stunted in some ways, ferociously insistent and determined as well, but not altogether healthy. What makes good health? Wouldn’t we all give a million dollars to answer that question. Fear drives us to those we consider to be “authorities”, while more measured approaches, more natural approaches are sidelined. They tell us it’s a crisis. But in the grand scheme of things, I can say from experience, the worst crisis is that of an infected mind. I’m glad for the curve balls, & take challenges readily, in all aspects of life. Is this not a time to stand up and declare our resiliency? And so it was, that I found myself at the end of Miranda’s driveway, with an electric fence in my way, and a curious draft horse sidling up to me, her awesome heft of muscle and bone holding space in an area I was expected to cross on foot. Okay, I admit I’ve been kicked. I pissed off a horse in a pasture in Hanksville years ago, and she hit me twice. I’m not sure why I went after her with my fists, thinking some feeble show of strength would intimidate her. Certain life lessons stick with you. You learn to be responsible for your own well being. Don’t like the wildlife? Stay away from it. It’s your thing, and you have to follow your own guidelines. I’d assess my own situation thusly. Been roughed up and abused, double crossed, and sidelined. I’ve had to dig deep to understand how to stand up for myself in the face of bullshit. What this requires is putting your life on the line for truth. Might not feel great. So when I finally reached Miranda’s house, got past the horse fencing and found her on the phone Zooming with her educational team from a makeshift work station in the yard, I looked for a place to sit and wait out her meeting. Considering ticks and all that, I didn’t want to plunk down in the leaf litter. I grabbed a green sheet rock bucket, thinking I’d turn it upside down and use it as a chair. I didn’t realize it had two severed ram’s heads in it. That was a surprise, so you have to stay on your toes and improvise. Be ready to rely on your own sense of what you can tolerate. I ended up leaning on a sculpture carved of granite. No guts, no struggle. I just perched there on the ancient edge of a mineral kingdom monolith until she noticed me. Safe and sound, ready to conquer any adversary.”
