A Second Look And Curiousity Leads To A Unique Experience

Take Pen to Paper: Edition 96

What a treat to have you here reading, friends!

I’ve trained myself to be on the lookout for glimmers (Take Pen to Paper: Edition 43). Sometimes, glimmers help you stop and be mindfully present in the moment, and those moments can pay off in the most amazing way.

In this newsletter:

1. Turtle love.

2. A second look and curiosity.

3. A once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Who Doesn’t Love a Turtle?

My family and I love turtles.

What’s not to love? Turtles are gentle and shy. They live in the wild, but they are slow enough for you to pet.

Photo by S.G.S. Abel

Two years ago, when my granddaughter was spending the night, my husband called us out to the driveway. A box turtle had wandered into the yard, and of course, my granddaughter was curious and wanted to pet it.

I was grateful we took the time to stop what we were doing and be present with nature in this moment.

Turtles always make me smile. They bring back memories of when we lived on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. My boys were seven and three. We would sit in the backyard under the shade of the big oaks to have a snack or picnic lunch.

One day, three turtles came into the yard. We named the biggest one Big Daddy. If I remember correctly, we named the other two after the boys. I marked each turtle on its shell with red fingernail polish - BD, L, and C. We fed them lettuce.

We discovered that the turtles would come to us if we were in the backyard at the same time. Not only did they like lettuce, they liked grapes, too.

Fall came, and our turtle friends went into hibernation.

The following spring founds us back outside in the backyard. One day, much to our surprise, three turtles came slowly plodding up to where we were. They were marked BD, L, and C. Our turtle friends were back! It turns out turtles are territorial.

What Makes Us Stop and Look?

Is it curiosity alone that makes us stop? Where does a second look come into play?

Curiosity is the desire to learn more. A second look is an action taken, meaning to look again.

There is a difference between curiosity and second looks depending on the context of use. You can be curious about something without having seen it before or because you have seen it before. You may be taking a second look because your curiosity was piqued. Either can come first. You may see something, get curious, and take a second look. Or you may take a second look and become more curious.

Whether it’s curiosity or a second look, the important thing is to stop and take time to be mindfully present in the moment. You may be rewarded.

A Reward for a Second Look

Last week, on my morning walk, I took a second look and got curious. My stopping to be present in that moment paid off in a big way.

I walk the same route daily. Changes include the side of the street, the weather, and the season. When I walk alone, it’s easier to pay attention to my surroundings. On any day, it’s easy to be in automatic mode and not pay any attention, but I’ve taught myself to be mindful in looking for changes. Besides the changes in plants, I see rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels, lizards, the occasional turtle, and a variety of birds.

That one morning, I first noticed movement in the grass in my peripheral vision. It was just the barest movement. I walked forward six feet before it registered with me.

My big turtle friend by my foot. Photo by S.G.S. Abel

I looked back and saw a large turtle in the grass. I had seen it several times over the past two weeks in this same area. I even took a picture of it and my foot to show how long it was from head to tail.

I walked back to take a second look, thinking I might need to take a picture. And, Wow! Was it ever picture-worthy!

First, I noticed the mud around its tail. Like Alice in Wonderland, I got curiouser and curiouser.

Photo by S.G.S. Abel

So, I kept watching and took the following 30-second video.

I couldn’t believe what I was witnessing. Altogether, I watched this mother turtle lay four eggs. As each egg went into the prepared hole, she pushed it down with her back leg.

By the time I left to walk down the street and turn around to pass the nesting area on my way home, she was finished, and the nest was covered. I knew where it was, but anyone else passing by would never guess.

If I hadn't taken a second look, gotten curious, and stopped. I would have missed this amazing event. Even though this was right in my neighborhood, and I’ve seen a fair amount of box turtles in the wild, I felt like this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Your curiosity, second looks, or both may lead you to a unique experience like mine.

7 Days, 7 Thoughts on Gratitude and Good:

1. I am grateful for the habit I’ve cultivated to be mindfully present on my walks and look for glimmers.

2. You may be interested to know more about Eastern Box Turtles. This site has a few facts for you.

3. It is OK to use fingernail polish to mark a turtle. Here’s an article on other ways, as well.

4. Here are some guidelines for feeding a box turtle.

5. All environments have nature for you to appreciate. It’s good to know how to treat and protect nature wherever you are.

6. “Forest Bathing” first started in Japan in the 1980s. Maybe we should all be doing it.

7. This brief article explains three reasons for getting out in nature.

Thank you for reading. This week, take the time to follow your curiosity or give something a second look. You never know what you will discover.

Until next time,

💚

Susan

What has been the most surprising thing you’ve seen in nature? Leave a comment. I would love to read about it.

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