The Universe Told Me To Write This!

I went for my walk this morning at 5:45am. It's still dark outside but I like it because it's peaceful. I make sure to wear bright clothes and stick to the sidewalks. As I get to the end of the street, I usually put in earbuds and start a podcast. This morning, for some reason, I felt like I shouldn't listen to people talking, I should listen to the peace and quiet. "Sounds good." I said (see what I did there?) and put the earbuds back in my pocket. Turns out it was divinely arranged because a block more into my walk I come face to face with a skunk. Well, really the skunk was on the grass of the neighbor's yard and I was on the sidewalk to the left. We were about three feet apart and both of us were spooked at the same time. As I looked him in his cute, little beady eyes, I heard a sound. I didn't stick around to identify the sound, but the first thing that came to my mind was "That sounded like canned whip cream." My immediate next thought was "Did he just spray me????"

Ladies and Gentlemen, let me just say that this retired, perimenopausal, Rubenesque woman made moves like a ballerina on fast forward. I was to the other side of the street in less than a second. The dude brushing his hair in his garage across the street either thought I was crazy or that I was commenting on his weed choice when I asked "Dude! There's a skunk up there, can you smell me?????"

I'll give this guy credit. He didn't skip a beat. He kept brushing his hair and slowly shook his head "No."

Here's the next amazing part. The running I had to use to get away from the skunk actually felt pretty good so I kept running. Jogging really, if I'm being honest. Once I get to the next block, I see my friend Shelly who was finishing her walk. It's still dark, mind you, so in a loud stage whisper I ask, "Shelly! Is that you????" She said something to the affect of "Well ya, who else would it be?" (She was right, but I'll get to that later.) I told her of my epic skunk escape of 2025, asked her to smell me, told her that it was near her house, and to be careful.... not so much in a stage whisper anymore. (The poor neighbors got a play by play at 6am. I'm surprised I didn't get a man yelling at me to shut up. Shelly did get a guy asking her if she was walking, though.... what's up with dudes hanging out in their garages at 6am?)

I'm not even half way through my walk yet, but I'm hoping that all the excitement is over. I continue to jog, (I know, right?!?) and find a good rhythm. I'm thinking that jogging feels pretty good, that I'm in better shape than I thought, and kinda happy that my shorts seemed loose. I was in the zone. That is until the guy who I normally see running around this time decides to pass me. (This is the "who else" Shelly could have been.) He didn't say a word. No gentle "Behind you." No helpful "On your left." Just steps coming towards me faster than my own. Enter the ballerina moves again. I thought I was a goner. I don't know why I didn't break something or pull a hammy. I let out a weird little yelp, the guy said "Sorry," and after I looked to make sure no one else saw me, we both went on our ways.

I'm winded but giggling a little by this time. When I started the walk 25 minutes earlier, I thought that I needed to think of my next blog post. The post was late and I didn't know what to write about. The Universe had just given me the post idea! What could be better than a good skunk story? The task was to relate it to my website. Or, what I'm trying to accomplish. Or, at least make it relevant. So here it goes....

Every time I come across an animal that seems out of place or unusual, I wonder what message I am supposed to receive. I usually get some great insight from the animals I've come across. The spiritual meaning of skunk is self-respect, boundary-setting, and authentic presence without the need for aggression. Ok Mister Skunk, I see you.

I recently stepped into a new role as a group facilitator at the Family Crisis Center. I will be working with men who have been charged with domestic violence. It is intense. I have to have self-respect and I have to be authentic. My boundaries will need to be rock solid. I have learned so much in the past few weeks and I'm grateful for this opportunity. It will stretch and challenge me. I'm looking forward to doing this work. The other co-facilitators are great and I'm impressed with what I've seen from the men in those groups. Reiki will become more of a fixture in my personal life, and since the FCC gig is only part time, I can keep my existing Reiki client schedule. Both will provide invaluable experience for my life coaching certificate, which I hope to complete by the end of October.

It's amazing to see what happens when I finally decide be open and willing to surrender. This is not what I thought I would be doing three months after retiring from teaching and I'm excited to see what happens next. (I'm keeping my eyes open for skunks, snakes and tarantulas though.)

Oh, by the way, nothing else happened on my walk this morning. I made it to work on time and was only a few minutes late for my book making class this afternoon. I'd like to think that I exercised both sides of my brain today. I'm exhausted and I've got gold paint on my fingers to prove it!