This squirrel was trying to be brave. I met another far braver and much fatter squirrel out in the parking lot. On Friday I had booked rehearsal time, and showed up a half hour early (long, convoluted story!). The chubby squirrel ran right up to me as I walked away from my car. An amused man who was walking by commented on my “new best friend”. The squirrel starred into my eyes, hoping for a peanut. My thoughts quickly returned to the squirrel that moved into my attic about a year ago. They are rodents — cute yet persistent.
This second squirrel was trying to beg for food, but at the same time seemed to prefer to be invisible. It didn’t make eye contact, but I’m sure that if I had any kind of food available it would have inched closer.
This lovely, quiet garden is surrounded by a seniors residence, a church, and a parking lot and nestled in the part of the city that is “home” to hundreds of people experiencing homelessness. These cute rodents gave me an excuse to engage in a brief conversation with a person whom I would normally try to walk past without allowing eye contact. Why is that? Am I so afraid of people I don’t know or understand that I need a third party to help? I suppose a few negative past experiences have taught me to be wary, and when I see someone walking angrily toward me, throwing sticks and shouting obscenities, then it would be a good idea to cross the road, but most of the people I meet in this part of town are harmless individuals who have run across some misfortune.
I still prefer to not invite squirrels into my attic, but there is much I can learn from them.
Reflections 