The Porcupine

We came across a porcupine last week walking through the Maine woods.  He (as his gender assumed) in our dinner conversation later that night, walked away from us as fast as he could with his quills at attention.  Porcupines can't move very fast.    He walked up a rock gentle face and we followed and then he stopped and we stopped.  I sat down and put my hand down on the rock making a soft clicking noise.  After a while he put down his quills and I could see his eyes relax.  Then he lifted up on to his hind legs and turned to face us.  He was about four feet away from us and slightly up hill. He stood there and watched.  Long claws and short arms at his front like a T-Rex, but with the demeanor of Albert Einstein.  His yellowish rodent front teeth, front and center - giving me pause about whether to reach my hand closer.  He moved slightly closer and continued to watch us.  After a few minutes passed he lowered himself, turned and slowly walk off into the brush.

I was left feeling invigorated from what felt like a deep connection with nature.  It was a Mihaly Czikszentmihalyi moment.  All thoughts, inhibitions, fears fell away and what was left was feeling not too different from getting into a hot shower on a cold day, or drinking a glass of cold water after a long summer run.

Egoless connection = Bliss!

I wonder what the Porcupine wrote in his blog?