Beech Tree News Network

Our friend, Don Lindsey (of Rebecca’s on Main) currently has a display of fossils at the Butler County Library.  Many of them came from the Fort Meyers area of Florida, where Don used to live.  This past Friday, I stopped by to view them.  It is an impressive collection.  When I saw the fossil from the Woolly Mammoth, I was reminded of a conversation I had with my granddaughter, Sabria, recently.  She considers herself quite knowledgeable on the subject of all things Ice Age.  We were on our way to school, when she told me about a conversation she had with one of her classmates.

               “He says he has at least one of every animal in the world living at his house,” she said.

               “Oh, really,” I said, immediately intrigued by this little person with the big claim.

               “Yes,” she said, “So I asked him if he had a Woolly Mammoth, and he said ‘Yes.’  Then I told him that Woolly Mammoths are extinct, so he said, ‘Then I guess I don’t have a Woolly Mammoth.’” 

               “Do you think he really has at least one of every animal in the world living at his house?” I asked.

               “No,” she said, because if he did, it would be like Jumanji (the movie), and they would smash his house all to pieces.

               “Maybe, it’s an imaginary zoo, and he’s going to grow up to be a zoo keeper,” I offered.

               “No he wants to work on cars when he grows up,” Sabria said, matter-of-factly.

               I love those kinds of conversations with her, and I would really like to meet the kid who tried to convince Sabria that he has at least one of every animal in the world living at his house.  Even if he does want to work on cars when he grows up, kids like that strongly identify with animals.

               There is a Native American Indian belief that if you identify with a certain animal, you share its traits and it becomes a totem, a protector and guide, for you.  I have always been drawn to the horse.  According to Exemplore.com, “Those with the horse spirit thrive when they are left wild.  They can be headstrong, but they are willing to bend for those they care about.”  That is me to a tee.

               The giraffe is the animal Sabria is most drawn to.  Giraffes represent grace, peace, individuality, protection, communication and perception.  She has a whole family of giraffe stuffed animals that sleeps with us when she stays the night.  People who are drawn to giraffes are protective, intuitive and distinctive.  That is Sabria to a tee.

               Sabria is also drawn to the flamingo—yes, I mean the strange pink bird that often stands on one leg.  I have never known another person so enamored by the flamingo.  She wore a particular flamingo night gown until it had become so small for her, I feared it would cut off her circulation in the middle of the night.  I had to hide it, and she grieved for it.  I wish I could find another.  I did find a flamingo swimsuit, however, which made me an instant hero, in her eyes.

               The flamingo shares some of the traits of the giraffe, such as grace, balance and confidence.  I wonder if it’s that they both have long necks.  From height, you gain perspective, and both animals are able to have that height and perspective on each of their respective animal territories.

               The library is open till 7 pm on Tuesdays, so I plan on taking Sabria by to view Don’s exhibit.  I’m going to have to read up, because she will ask me a gazillion questions, and I’m not very learned on subjects like the Woolly Mammoth.  I did find out recently, however, there are scientists who think they may be able to bring the Woolly Mammoth back from the dead, using a gene editing tool called CRISPR.  The process is called de-extinction (NBC.com).

 If they do, I’ll need to alert Sabria’s little friend.  He’ll want one for his collection of at least one of every animal in the world at his house.