MANATEES Archives - Page 5 of 6 -

The Conscious Act of Letting Go

By Simone Lipscomb | March 5, 2013

Attachment: “A feeling that binds one to a person, thing, cause, ideal, or the like; devotion; regard: a fond attachment to his cousin; a profound attachment to the cause of peace” (dictionary.com).

One of the most difficult lessons I have learned is to let go of expectations. It started with my work as a state park naturalist many years ago. With deep love and passion for nature, it was difficult to watch as politics won over nature so many times. Environmental education was barely funded while other programs–the money-makers–were funded. I struggled with the question: How can you place a monetary value on environmental stewardship?

Then as a practicing psychotherapist I struggled with my attachment to clients understanding their issues and working to resolve them instead of expecting me to use a magic wand to make them feel better. (Draw circle on wall, bang head….).

Armondo, an artist in Akumal, Mexico, creates beauty on his property

And again, as a massage therapist and energy work practitioner, my attachment to clients taking responsibility for their health–physical, mental, emotional and spiritual–caused such turmoil that I invented a new kind of therapy. I called it Slap Therapy. And of course it was a joke that I shared with students and colleagues but in reality I was trying to work out my frustration through humor.

But it doesn’t stop there…no, this pattern continued. I want people to love the planet. I want them to feel their own value and worth. I want them to treasure themselves and the planet and place self-care and planetary care at the top of their to-do list. And so forth…until finally I realized that the only way to find peace within myself (and therefore model that which I am wanting to help create) was to end my attachment to anyone ever gaining understanding or waking up to their own beauty. If I base personal joy and contentment on other’s actions I’ve got some long, frustrating years ahead of me.

Mantee interacting with woman at Three Sister's Springs — Mantee interacting with woman at Three Sister’s Springs

Can I be detached and still have passion, feel love and continue on the path? Can I let go of ego and surrender to simply loving for the sake of loving?

Can I continue the work, the love, the expression of beauty I experience without knowing if it is received?

I recently discovered that all I have ever wanted (since childhood) was for the love I feel for others, animals and the planet to be received. And truly, the only way I know to experience that wish coming true is simply to keep loving, regardless. I will always love but I am no longer attached to knowing this love is received. (deep breath….heavy sigh). Perhaps the biggest magical transformation in life is to let go of all attachments to what we want the most and simply keep practicing, keep loving.

Orchid...their faces amaze me — Orchid…their faces amaze me

It is the flow of love itself that is my focus. It is not conditional. It is not a faucet that can be turned on and off. It is a state of being that I choose each day, every moment. No matter what. That’s all I’ve really ever wanted.

No Disappointing Days

By Simone Lipscomb | February 26, 2013

You never know what will happen when you set your intention for a morning of manatee interaction. An impromptu trip with a gal pal to snorkel with our sea cow friends and spend some time SUP boarding gave us more than we’d hoped for but not what we expected.

We took off this morning just before sunrise with the outfitter and our favorite captain. When we walked into the dive shop I saw a cave diving icon (sorry Harry) that actually taught my cave instructor. He and his group were on the same boat we were on so we had a chance to visit which made the trip even more fun.

But the manatees were not in Three Sister’s Springs today. It was warm so they were out feeding and this, of course, is wonderful for them. So we swam around the springs and headed back out to the boat and then spent the next couple of hours going on a manatee search. Since I was dressed in a dry suit, I got to be the scout and swim out and check places to see if there were any nearby.

At one point I slipped into the murky, green water of King’s Bay and floated, still and silent, after we saw the ‘footprint’ or ripples of water that were left behind by a swimming manatee. I never saw them but heard a mom and baby communicating through their high-pitched whistles. When I got back on the boat my mates told me that they had seen the manatees swim right beside me…due to the green water I never saw them but definitely felt their presence.

After easing around the bay and different springs we happened to come upon a group of four manatees….two of which were VERY large. They were mating. Huge, round tails danced in the air, heavy bodies rolled in the water, and the intensity of manatee love was so strong that smart snorkelers stayed far away from the nuptials and observed with cautious excitement.

So no babies played with my camera housing, none wanted to interact. But how amazing to know that next year when I visit there will be new babies that add to the beauty of our planet and the specialness of these beautiful, warm springs.

My YOLO teak cruiser is a true friend. We have been in some amazing places.

I spent three hours after lunch SUP boarding in serious wind. I’d duck into quite canals or springs and float with anhingas and mullet. I spent time visiting with manatee volunteers, and had a heck of a work out paddling against the wind and then riding it back across King’s Bay…a downwinder that made me push myself with physical effort and laugh at the outrageous speed gained over open water with such a big wind.

You never know what you’ll get when the day begins but it’s guaranteed that if you keep the heart and mind open, there are no disappointing days.

The Seeds We Plant

By Simone Lipscomb | February 22, 2013

As the elliptical trainer whirled and my heart rate increased, my mind calmed. This rainy morning forced an indoor workout so to pass the time, I turned on an audio of a favorite speaker, John O’Donohue, and listened to his address called, Love Antidote. Even though it has been heard many times, more good stuff was gathered from his wisdom.

When he told a story or introduced an idea, my mind would take it and turn it over like a stone, wet from its life in a clear river. Textures, layers, colors spoke to me and offered insight into the human condition.

Have you ever had someone plant an idea in your mind that was based in fear? I have seen how much deep damage can occur when others sow seeds of fear and doubt in the minds of those we love, creating fertile ground for distrust to occur. The destruction of trust, joy and happiness that occurs when seeds such as this are scattered can be devastating.

I once had the privilege of helping teach a woman consumed with fear how to dive. She stood on the pool deck, that first night of class, and was shaking uncontrollably. Not even wet or in gear, she was terribly afraid. While my partner/instructor began the class, I began to work with her. What was uncovered were deep-seated fears about trusting herself. As a child she was taught to fear, to not trust herself to make good decisions. She experienced much growth from facing her fears and with a lot of one-on-one instruction from my partner, went on to become a good diver.

A friend of mine diving in Bonaire (not my student) — A friend of mine diving in Bonaire (not the student I referenced in writing) showing the joy that can occur from doing something that pushes us through our fears

“Occasions of fear are invitations for freedom and courage.” (John O’Donohue)

How many times do we allow seeds, that other people plant within our minds, destroy our peace of mind or even relationships with those we love? How often do those seeds of fear grow into mind-beasts that control us and ruin our happiness or our potential for happiness?

John said that fear blinds us and we see only one door, one possibility, when there might be seven or eight doors. Every person is the holder of incredible possibilities. Deep down, he said, we know exactly what is going on and we have to give that truth a chance. If we can drop into stillness, silence and solitude everything that needs to happen will happen. The key is recognizing the seeds planted by others, that we have watered and tended with attention, that overshadow the truth.

Injured diver from Great Britain doing a dolphin therapy session

He tells of sitting at people’s bedsides while they are dying and finding that regret is one of the loneliest places humans can ever find themselves.What is it that your heart truly wants to do but you are too afraid to do, he asks? What seeds have others planted that have made you doubt your own heart’s voice? How does fear keep you from living your life the way you want to?

So many need help…..children, animals, rivers, oceans, elders, trees, veterans. What holds us back? What seeds of fear have we allowed to take root so deeply that we choose no action rather than risk an imagined or perceived outcome based in fear, not in truth?

What if we choose to sow seeds of love and compassion? If we align our passion with that group or situation we feel most drawn to, only good can come from our step toward that which calls us. What is your passion? What opens your heart? My wish is that we all have the courage to step out of fear and follow our heart’s path. Imagine the results!

Girl Scouts welcoming wounded veterans to Key Largo, FL

The Questions We Ask

By Simone Lipscomb | February 20, 2013

Florida Manatee posing for a candid photograph

Yesterday I watched a news video relating the story of a family that abused a baby manatee. By abuse I mean the dad pulled it out of the water, hugged it, placed his small children on it while it was half out of the water and who knows what other torments. All of this was documented by photographs and posted to the dad’s Facebook page. A Facebook friend turned them in to Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. The dad was arrested.

It is suspected that the baby manatee was already suffering cold stress from the recent chilly weather so the abusive handling most likely further stressed the calf which could easily lead to its death.

So. what’s the big deal? Manatees are one of the most endangered species in our area. They estimate the population to be around 5000 individuals. Reproduction rate is slow, many are killed and seriously injured each year by boat propellers. These are the biological answers, the scientific answers that support the very strict rules of conduct that are enforced by law enforcement agencies charged with protecting wildlife listed under the Endangered Species Act.

He checked out my dry suit, my fins, my snorkel, my camera...always learning more about humans, these little ones. — He checked out my dry suit, my fins, my snorkel, my camera…always learning more about humans, these little ones.

To fully understand this question one must journey deeper to the ethical and moral foundation of how we treat species other than our own. Manatees are very gentle, curious creatures with friendly dispositions. Given the fact that humans have nearly decimated their populations, they are incredibly trusting of us.

In a recent trip with a group of women to Crystal River, Florida, a juvenile was persistent in forcing an interaction with me. I believe in passive observation only and don’t ‘pet’ them. If they want to nose around my dry suit, play with my camera housing or suck on my hair, I don’t mind. But I don’t encourage the contact by excessive touch. I want them to be wild for their own good.

But this little one refused to leave me alone until I lowered my camera and held my hand out in the water. She swam to my hand and laid her head snugly in my palm and we maintained eye contact. My heart and entire being was open to the connection and it felt as if we crossed space and time where different species gain understanding and trust. After I gently pulled my hand back and swam on, I sobbed into my mask and thought, why do these animals trust us when their near-destruction is at our hands? I felt honored and blessed and as usual, deeply changed from the interaction.

So the story of the recent abuse of a baby made me nearly crazy with grief. The family had no concept of respect for the baby, no understanding that this darling manatee child was such an important link in the recovery of a seriously endangered species. I weep for this and all ignorance with which humans continue to destroy our beautiful planet–ourselves. As a collective it seems we see no connection between ourselves and other species, rivers, oceans….How did we become so separate from nature, from each other?

A dear friend of mine had a wonderful solution. He suggested that the family be ‘sentenced’ to work in a manatee rehabilitation center so they can truly understand the fragility of these gentle beings. Of course! What an amazing idea. For, as he said, we are taught by example. We learn from others. What better way to understand another species than to be taught directly by them. We can truly and profoundly understand another by helping them heal their wounds.

I think they see the reflection in the housing port...they are truly fascinated with cameras — I think they see the reflection in the housing port…they are truly fascinated with cameras

And this idea is applicable with all species, including other humans.

It is time to start asking the right questions and devoting ourselves to the healing of all beings. For that truly is how we learn about their suffering, their challenges. When we learn compassion, seeds of peace are planted. And that can only lead to a better world.

Communion

By Simone Lipscomb | January 30, 2013

Curious about the SUP board, the juvenile says hello.

It is no secret to anyone who knows me that my best friends are finned or flippered, feathered or furred. My heart is touched by an encounter with wild dolphins or a gentle nuzzle of a manatee in ways that surpass any human connection. Maybe that’s why men I’ve shared my life with have moved on…never content to come second after my love of wild animals. Connection with all creatures wild is my Communion, a way to rise above the mundane and connect deeper, more fully with beings more evolved than humans. (Personal bias).

Today I received an early-morning call from a friend and she tearfully expressed her love of the woods surrounding her home was about to be logged, destroyed so the landowner could purchase a vehicle for his son. How can you put a price like that on a sacred woodland? When will humans learn that the planet is not a commodity to be pillaged, a land to rape for spoils but rather a sacred cathedral?

The mentality of profit at any cost is not a luxury we can afford any longer.

Joanna Macy’s teachings come to mind. She explains the necessary evolution from a life-taking society to a life-sustaining society. We are in a time of moving from a profit-at-any-cost world to a life-sustaining world. We are in the middle of the dissolution of the old way and are awakening to the reality of the mess we’re in economically, socially, environmentally. And within the mess, within the reality of how we have treated the planet and each other, we find positive change occurring. Many, many people are choosing to act from a place of responsibility, a place of compassion and love. We are waking up to the idea that it is possible to live in balance with respect for all life.

Wildlife reminds me of the connection we have to the whole. The manatees scarred by propellers remind me that humans still have a huge impact on fragile species, that we have done great harm to our planet. And when I see volunteers paddling their kayaks, overseeing interactions with these gentle beings and acting as protectors, hope is refueled.

While snorkeling recently, a juvenile manatee came to me and demanded my attention. My goal is passive observation, in or out of the water, but while filming them, one insisted on connecting face-to-face and drew me out from behind the camera. He swam in front of me, stopped and I felt his gentle spirit guiding me to remove the camera from between us and commune, one wild heart to another. I gently placed my hand aside his face and channeled as much love as I could to him and his kind. And I listened in silence to him.

In those moments we were one with each other. There was no me, no him. In that neutral stillness was birthed understanding. Deep, profound understanding.

As we parted, sobs wracked my body and soul for the trust demonstrated by a species so abused and wounded by humans. The future of this planet is in our hands. That is both frightening and empowering. What will we do to create a better world? Will we do anything?

It can start with daily communion with the natural world. Let it show us our next step each day.