Listen

 

Written by Mel T 1998

 

Wow!  One would never guess that I actually got to build my dream house.  Art studio and all it is a great place to live.  I built the house just outside of the woods.  Whenever I feel a loss of inspiration or just feel the need to be with nature, I can go outside and roam the dirt path that winds throughout the woods.

            The path is in a wonderful location and the start of it is right outside my studio door.  It wasn’t planned that way but it works out great.  Today was one of those days where nature is screaming your name “Melissa! Melissa! Come and enjoy the weather, it is sunny just for you, and the animals our out and roaming.  Come out and roam too.” Nature’s scream was distracting me all too easily today and I just had to go outside.  Wiping the clay off my hands, I decided to answer the call.  “Are you ready nature?  Here I come; I am coming outside now: prepare yourself.”  I almost didn’t hear it but it sounded like nature replied, almost as an afterthought, “The question is: are you prepared for me?”

            Thinking that maybe I should seek professional help, I put on my hikers and locked the studio door as I left.  The path is one of simple beauty.  It is a dirt path worn out over the years by the many travelers that have passed though the area.  It is the easiest route among the trees and plants.  Mighty as the trees are, sunlight trickles thorough their branches providing the best possible lighting.  Sometimes I like to come with my sketchbook and just sketch the beauty of the trees and surrounding area.  Flowers grow in the spring time here and there; it looks like someone went with a handful of seeds and tossed them up in the air and where ever they landed that is where they grew.  I had no particular destination in mind; I left my travels totally in the hands of mother nature hoping she would led me on a rewarding adventure.  While roaming the many paths that branch off from ours, my husband and I like to imagine what it was like for the first person that stepped into that part of the woods.  Were there more trees?  Were the people scared?  How big were the trees then and what kind of animals roamed back and forth?

One of the many things we wonder is how many people encounter bears?  Did they live, die, run, face their fear, kill the bear, or walk away calmly?  My husband always kids me that if I were ever to encounter a bear I would probably sit down and have a conversation with him.  I always reassure him that he is probably right.

            About five hundred feet into the woods; one comes to the first fork in the path.  Our usual route is to take the right path, but today I decided to take the left one.  It was if the path was calling my name. “For adventure, which is what you seek, come this way.”  Being a person to follow directions I followed the left path.  Venturing on for what was no more then thirty minutes I came across a fallen tree.  The tree looked as if it had been lying there for over forty years.  Covered with an adequate moss supply and just laying in the right direction.  The tree almost looked like a chesterfield with armrest and everything.  “Sit, sit the adventure will come to you.  Sit and enjoy the sun close your eyes and rest.” Since I had let nature led me this far I figure why not.

            Who would have thought that a tree could be as comfortable as a real chesterfield, but it was one of the comfortable things I have ever sat it.  Leaning back against the tree, I decided once again to go with it and I closed my eyes just taking in the sweet fresh forest air.  I must have dozed off because the next thing I remember is the call of nature once again.  “Slowly open your eyes.  Do not be afraid. Listen to his plea and do what you do best.” It was then that I sensed a massive presence sitting beside me.  With every breath I took the mass took one too.  Slowly opening my eyes I turned to see what the presence might be.  There before my eyes sat a brown bear the kinds that are always in the circus.  Just a normal bear, although this bear was nothing at all what you would consider normal.  I was half way out of my seat with a scream on the tip of my tongue when Mother Nature scolded me.  “Sit! You will never get this chance again and neither will he so SIT! And listen! This is his only chance!”  With that and a good hard shove from who knows where I sat.  My mind raced back to those countless conversations with my husband, “If you ran across a bear you would just say ‘Hi’ and sit down and have a nice little conversation.”  Well here was my chance to have a conversation with a bear who would have thought?

            “I am a little nervous, being that you are a bear, so I am sure what to say. My name is Melissa and I live just down the path in the big house.  How are you doing?”

            In a gentle voice that seemed out of touch with his body the bear replied.  “I know this is strange but I don’t have much time only about an hour if that.  I need your help.  My name is Thomas and except for being a bear I am doing just fine, thanks.”  Continuing with his story Thomas began to explain his predicament.

It seemed not to long ago a man and his son went into the woods to practice out-of-body experiences.  What they were doing was trying to transfer a part of their beings into that of and animals to experience what the animal was experiencing at the time.  They had been doing this for some time now, first trying it with fish, cats and dogs.  When they could successfully share an experience with birds flying in the sky they decided to come out to the woods.  The father picked an owl for his first experience while his son watched in case something went wrong.  When the father returned to his body he was amazed and ecstatic about his experience and couldn’t wait for his son to try.  But when he returned he noticed that his son was in a trace and had entered into an animal without the watchful eye of his father.  Frantically the father tried to figure out what animal the boy may have chosen, with that information he might be able to help bring his son back.  There in the clearing he noticed a brown bear sitting in what also looked like a trace.  The son had tired to enter the bear so he could see what the big bear felt about seeing a human and what the bear thought.  For some reason it worked all to well and the bear was also put into a trance like state.  Not knowing what to do the boy stayed in the trance hoping his father would soon return and help him.  But suddenly the bear snapped out of the trance and scared by the experience ran away.  The son was now in both bodies but because he was still in the body of the bear his human self was still in the trance.  The boy’s father realizing what had happened gently picked up his son and started talking to him to try and comfort the boy so he might be able to return to his body.  As long as the bear remained in an agitated state the boy would not be able to return.  The man brought his son back home with him and has been trying unsuccessfully to bring his beloved son back to him.

            Thomas being that boy was fully aware of the events going on in both of his bodies was now getting tired and was afraid that if he didn’t return to his human body soon he would never be able to.  One day his father stated that if only someone could clam and comfort the bear while he was comforting his son.  If this happened maybe he could bring his son back to him.  Thomas said that when the bear awoke this morning he felt called to walk in the direction that led him to this tree.  Seeing me sitting on the fallen log in a peaceful state, he realized that this was his chance.  Summoning all of his human spirit, expect a small amount that remain in his human body, he was able to control the bear and make it come ad sit on the tree.  Then he heard a voice saying to talk to me when I opened my eyes and that is what he did.

            “If you could just hold the bears head or paws and try to comfort him then maybe I can go back home.”  Thomas asked rather meekly.

            Thinking it over I decided that I could do that.  “Sure I will but doesn’t your father have to be helping you at home?” I asked.

            “That is true and I don’t know how he knew but he is doing just that right now.  So if it wouldn’t be too much trouble. I would like to try.”

            “No problem but what happens when you leave?  Will the bear get mad and attack me?” I asked realizing for the first time the real danger of this situation.

            “If you are comforting the bear he should not see you as a danger and will not try to hurt you.  As much as I can I will keep the bear from hurting you but I think we have God on our side today, if not God then Mother Nature.”

             “I would have to agree with you on that point.  Well come lay your head in my lap and lets hope for the best.”

            Cradling the bear’s head in my lap and gently petting the fur as though he were just a big dog I stated singing lullabies and humming songs.  At first I noticed some tension and fear in the bear but all I could do was hope that when Thomas was released from the bear that the bear did not attack me.  After what seemed like an hour I heard Thomas talking for one last time.

            “Thank you so much for doing this.  It is working I am leaving now.  I must go thank you and goodbye.”  Now what would happen to me?  What happened next was even more amazing then a talking bear.  I looked down to see what this bear might do and he was sleeping.  It was like looking at a sleeping child.  I thought I must be mad. Here I am comparing a child sleeping to a bear.  After only a short time the bear awoke.  I lifted my arms and stayed as still as possible.  He raised his head and rolled onto the ground.  Slowly he wandered away, just before he entered into the woods, the bear looked over his shoulder at me.  Then he was gone.  “It is finished; you have done well.  Listening was always your strong point. Thank you.  You have saved one of your own and one of mine.  Mother Nature thanks you. Now go and continue to listen with your HEART.”

            Like a young child I was congratulated and then dismissed.  I never told anybody about this experience until today.  I do not know why Mother Nature chose me but I am grateful she did my life has never been the same since.

            I never found out how the boy was and if he returned okay.  But I will always remember what Mother Nature told me and listen with my heart.  Hopefully one day I will hear from Thomas but maybe it was never meant to be.  Still I will listen and so should you.