It's Been Awhile.

Wandering through my website today, I realized it has been months since my last blog post.

What's been going on with me?

I could tell you about so many things. Let's choose my most intentional topic.

California.

That's what's been going on with me.

On New Year's Day 2018, Judith and I each picked a random card from Jessica Swift's Animal Allies Oracle cards. She drew a hawk, and I drew an otter. Fitting. One of my favorite approaches to life is to enjoy life as an otter. Otters float on their backs. They cruise. They play. They dive and dip. They live along the riverbank, being their omnivore, adorable selves. When I find myself stressed with one of life's 10,000 things, I like to picture a sweet, slick otter juggling rocks for play. As for the hawk - the day Jude and I got together, she saw four hawks - a sign of being on the right track.

Later in the day, Jude and I walked to a sitting area next to a river to reevaluate our lives, as we do. Though we check in frequently, we pointedly reassess with each new year. As we sat in the quiet, sounds emerged. The ducks who had flapped away returned. Small birds called to one another through the tinkling tree leaves. An otter - a real North American river otter - swam in front of us. She dove and swam, threading the surface of the water. She worked her way from our far left to our far right, and out of sight. No hurry. Jude and I looked at each other, shocked and excited - this was the first time either of us had seen a living otter in its own habitat. We grinned and commented and hugged and continued to make goals for the year. Not long after, a hawk sailed from our far right, over the river, to our far left, and out of sight. The hawk - perhaps a Swainson's or a red tailed - was only about ten yards away, overhead. We were dumbstruck.

I believe this story goes to show many things.

Firstly, Judith is a thoughtful wife. She bought those Animal Allies cards to both bring me joy and support an artist she admires. We both cherished them from the moment we opened the deck.

Secondly, life is happening everywhere, all the time. Otters and hawks and bobcats and snakes and beetles and ants and prairie dogs and big horned sheep are living their lives out there, just like I'm living my life right here. Not seeing them doesn't mean they aren't there. You know, every Monday, we drive 25 minutes on country roads to a clinic where I work. We see emus and sheep and goats, cows and horses and rabbits, cats and dogs and hawks. I suppose we could be seeing broken fence, slack telephone wire, litter, the occasional highway, cracked roads and smog. But mostly, we see the beautiful animal medley, the blue sky with purposeful clouds, the green and brown fields, and the purple mountains along the horizon. 

Positive, intentional living leads to shimmering moments such as those on the river. When I notice, listen, feel...I receive new information.

I experience that which I seek. What I think about, talk about, look for and move toward...these comprise the part of life I actively create.

Happy experiencing to you.

<3
Dr. Southwick