Marianna's Blog
Escape
Lessons & Reflections from the National Butterfly Center
I know I am not alone in thinking the world’s gone crazy…but am I the only one who fantasizes about running away?
Truth be told, I do flee—and always to the outdoors.
Forget the nasty headlines, the horrors of foreign affairs, the despair and degradation of all we should hold dear. Today, I walked to the mailbox and took some time to stare at the almost-translucent moon, lingering in the western sky. I watched the vultures rise, swirling hypnotically higher, from the treetops. I noticed something furry in the wildflower refugium, and got closer and closer, until I was able to reach out one finger and pet the young rat who seemed to enjoy having his back scratched.
Tribe
Lessons & Reflections from the National Butterfly Center
In case you didn’t know, I refer to y’all as “our tribe.” I mean this with the deepest respect and appreciation. You are the family that has given birth to this place, and continues to sustain it. Your customs and values guide us, and we share a language that sounds utterly foreign to non-members.
My initiation into this tribe has been exciting and educational. It has opened my eyes to beauty I took for granted before belonging. I look to my elders and more experienced brothers and sisters for assistance in identifying and understanding the totems around which our tribe revolves; and like any new initiate, I am at once anxious to broadcast what I have seen and learned, and eager to keep it to myself—to hold it close, like a secret that sets me apart.
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