Lots of people talk to animals.... Not very many listen, though.... That's the problem. – The Tao of Pooh

So, continuing with the blog theme – I am focusing on the sweet things in life. This makes me want to share the fact that I have a pretty sweet set up here in California. My apartment’s decorated with Spanish colonial influence, in rich greens and golds, offers a fireplace and vaulted ceiling, and opens to a furnished patio. I have glorious views of the mountains and ocean, sprawling gardens and a courtyard swimming pool. That, or I just copied and pasted the preceding description from the Santa Barbara Four Seasons website… take your pick.

Seriously though, I do have ocean views from my studio apartment, and I have been practicing surfing a few times a week. Last Friday, I experienced a new level. I was surfing… drum roll… with dolphins. Upon seeing the dolphins within an ARM’S LENGTH – my jaw immediately dropped wide open into the permanently down position. The friend/coworker I was with said in a concerned voice, “Are you OK?” I responded enthusiastically, “YESSSSSS this is awesome!!!” (which was kinda hard to say with my jaw the way it was). Come to think of it, this was not my first time mingling with Flipper’s flock. When my brother Andrew visited a few months ago, we ended up kayaking through a small pod of dolphins (I guess they like me). Andrew thought the dolphins were sharks at first so he was FREAKING out. This was mostly comical because Andrew is 6’4” and exudes a tough guy “You talkin’ ta me?!” disposition to most people he encounters. Then again, these weren’t people. They were dolphins.

After the initial shock wore off, my dolphin encounters provided the best natural high. Playfully looking out for each other and occasionally leaping above the water’s surface, these creatures were mesmerizing. We all know that interaction with animals can bring us emotional benefits. But the rare privilege of being this “up close and personal” gave me a new perspective. Animals can definitely impact our lives for the better when we observe and learn from their behavior. I think Rita Mae Brown puts it best in her Huffington Post article, “What We Can Learn From Animals.” A few of my favorite take aways are that animals “know they are dying but do not carry around the concept of their future demise,” they, “never make a virtue out of boredom,” and “even a chicken knows that the bird that sits is easily shot.”

Now if only my landlord allowed pets…