Wednesday, August 3, 2011

It is good to hang upside down from trees !

 So yesterday, David and I had a adventure with an opossum. An opossum got stuck in our outdoor garbage can while going after chicken bones in there.

Not our opossum – this image of an opossum playing ‘possum courtesy of Google .

The thing about an opossum is that they play possum, or fake being dead when they get scared.

Did you know that it is an involuntary comatose-type state caused by extreme fear ?

Well, we learned this the hard way !

Instead of telling you the whole long and quite funny story, just know that it involved  a squealing wife calling her husband at work to tell him there was a dead something in the garbage can, 6 hours of the possum playing dead in said garbage can, as the wife was too scared and grossed out to do anything about it, and both of us realizing that the damn thing was still alive when  it ran from the garbage can straight into the bottom of the garbage bag that David was trying to dispose of the body with, while he was holding it !!!

We were both relieved that he was alive in the end, but finding out that he wasn’t dead scared the be-jesus out of us both !!

Having had this bizarre adventure (We live in a city. A small city yes, but a CITY none the less !), I just had to check on what the meaning of the opossum is in Native American Animal Medicine.

Here is some of what I found :

"I AM OPOSSUM. I bring this message from all of my kinfolk to all of you: IT'S GOOD TO HANG UPSIDE DOWN IN TREES! The world looks completely different from that perspective, and considering the way the world has been going, it might be advantageous for humans to turn things upside down a bit, shake them up as it were, and move in a different direction.
"Ah, I see that you had not suspected me of having a dry wit, but among my people, my sense of humor is legendary. Are you not aware that I am continuously grinning, especially when laying low - you call it playing 'possum'; rolling over; playing dead. These are merely diversions so that the predators of the world will not consider me of interest or a challenge. I suggest that you imitate my strategy when danger is upon you. I will help you attain long life, for the one who tries to forestall a fight, rather than battling his way through, will live longer - less stress - and of course, there is always the more accomplished opponent. Have a happy life. Viva l'opossum!” -Cie Simurro for Wisdom Magazine

So it looks like that opossum may have had some valuable information for me from the universe. My message seems to be that I should keep on looking at the world in my sometimes “different from the crowd” perspective, and keep myself safe from the predators of the world by having the ultimate trust that life will bring me where I need to go, without any major actions needed by me.

I appreciate this kind of confirmation that the choices I have been making lately to Be or hang out in my own life are the right ones. And knowing that the universe will bring me to where I need to go without that “battling through” way of thinking is also very comforting. It makes me feel like I am on the right track.

So little stinky possum, I am glad we all made it out of this experience relatively intact, and I am grateful that you bravely came to give me my message.

Now stay the F*** out of the garbage !!!

Happy Wednesday, Beautiful Ones !

15 comments:

Sherry said...

OMG!!!! I'd have been screaming and running away and then when the thing came out of the garbage bag??? I think I'd have fainted!!! Not the most attractive critter is it??

Now that I've stopped laughing...I can see that this would give you some good lessons...and also wear depends when you go to the garbage can!!! rofl!!!

Please, just don't start hanging upside down from trees, mmmk????

Anonymous said...

LOL, what a hoot! Don't the Native Americans have the right attitude about life. Everything has energetic good if we just look for it. I'd like a picture of you upside down in a tree!

xox Corrine

couragetocreatewriteandlove said...

i think i just realized after reading your post that i am a possum... still stay away from my house, too ;-)

Snap said...

LOL! Love it! We had little opossum visitors in Galveston. Mama liked to raid the cat food (learned quickly to cover the food). One day I watched her waddle away and thought *gee, she has 4 tails!!!!!* Then I remembered that they are marsupials and have their young in a pouch ... I was seeing Ma's tail and the young ones!!!!!!! Ah, memories! :D :D

Olivia said...

My Queen, I liked that you brought a lesson out of your possum experience. I had a rodent experience last week (in my chicken house, not regular house) and neglected to do this...so good for you for taking this out of it. It's good to know that weird stuff happens to others, too, including Queens! Big love, xoO

Unknown said...

Late one night, back when I was in high school, I was sitting out on the front porch of my house when the garbage bag by the front door started WALKING across the porch towards me. It was VERY late and everything was VERY black and it was in late October, and it spooked me so much I peed my pants- no kidding. It was an opposum, but GOSH it scared the CRAP out of me!

jgr said...

What a great story! I'm glad all is well and . . . how Queen-like that you found a lesson in the adventure. You always inspire me!

Mary said...

we have a similar story...

i tell you they are one of the ugliest critters, even baby possums are not very cute, and usually baby anythings are cute!!

i did not know the "playing possum" thing was involuntary - kind of like the fainting sheep...

The Bodhi Chicklet said...

What a crazy adventure!!!! So much to love and learn and absorb from this. I strongly encourage hanging upside down from trees and I must say I do enjoy your own unique perspective. But come on - SIX HOURS??!!! Even I can't keep up my rouse for that long! Kind of icky when I really think about it, I think I'll stop thinking about it and re-start thinking about it from an upside down in the trees kind of way again. Must, must talk soon, Kimmy-poo.

beth said...

oh kim....your story had me laughing so hard !!
we have possums around here all the time....usually dead, on the roads :(

they can be cute, sort of and really really mean. they hiss if they feel like they are being cornered or trapped.

thanks for the laugh !!
xoxo

Kate Robertson said...

Great story Kim, I am glad all is well now. That opossum looked cute though.

Sophie said...

Too funny! I can so picture it!
I probably would've screamed or jumped.
Glad you found some good out of that experience.
Sophie

Nicola said...

hahahah very funny story! What a funny looking creature, we have possums over here but I've never seen or heard of an opossum. Yours look very different to ours!! I think I would have been just as shocked and scared as you. heheheh

LOVED your Journal page in your last post for July! Those rocks are gorgeous and full of personality! Brilliant! I still haven't received the next journal so haven't done July yet, hopefully I'll get something soon!!!!

Cindy said...

Dear Lord, you know wuth my Cataplexy I would have fallen to the ground and played dead for a while too. I can just see you guys trying to get the opossum....Glad you found positivity from the universe. hugs dear one.

LuLu Kellogg said...

I would have wet my brits if I had seen this thing!!

LOL @ "stay the f*** of the garbage"!

*giggling*

Love,
LuLu~*xoxo