Be Yourself: Advice from a Ferret 🐾

I easily recall a ferret encounter that I had years ago. I needed cat food, so I walked over a local veterinarian’s office during my lunch break to pick up a small bag so that I would not have to stop on my way home. As I walked thru the door, I noticed a man standing in line, clutching a VCR in front of him. It was obvious that he was struggling to keep it steadily balanced so that the machine would be perfectly parallel to the floor.

“That’s odd”, I thought, until I looked closer. Instead of a VCR tape protruding from its opening there was a little furry mass and what appeared to be a tail draping down over the side. Pressed up against the machine itself were two itsy bitsy clawed paws. My curiosity got the better of me and I had to ask… “What’s that in your VCR?” I inquired with a giggle as I pointed to the machine.

“It’s my ferret”, the man replied with maniacal laughter. “He was doing his dance and got a bit too enthusiastic and danced himself right into the VCR.”

“He dances?”

“Yup. All weasels do. It’s meant to hypnotize their prey until they get close enough to attack it. Like that mongoose and the cobra.”

“It must be sooo cute to watch!”

“It is. Once you realize they haven’t hit their head and gone insane. When he dances, he does it like no one is watching, tail all bushy, rolling around, leaping sideways. He literally bounces off the walls. Problem is this time he tried to bounce off the VCR and here we are.”

Our conversation ended abruptly as it was his turn in line. When I was leaving the vet’s office I saw the man getting into his car with the ferret on his shoulder, wiggling its little behind once again.

The little ferret was back in the game. Ready to go home do his ferret dance once again, maybe a tad bit more cautiously.

The ferret instinctually allowed his freak flag to fly. He is true to the essence of who he is rather than trying to be someone he is not …regardless of the circumstances. He embraces his flaws and learns from his mistakes.

No wonder he looked so happy on the man’s shoulder ready for his next adventure.

Try following the advice of our mustelidae friends and enjoy the freedom of being imperfectly you. You will help to make your world a better place…. one freeing dance at a time!

#thewhinebar #felinefinefriday #ifanimalscouldtalk #selfcare #theallybrown #writingforhumanity #blastradiusbookbyally