I am not a believer in the damsel-in-distress school of life. If we are to be rescued, much of the time, we must rescue ourselves. It may not be easy, or straightforward, or even land us where we think we want to go, but it is up to us to do the heavy lifting in helping ourselves.
That said, who doesn’t need a life preserver from time to time?
There is no predicting an accident, the repercussions of a small mistake in judgment, or an event entirely beyond our control.
Sometimes, there is family or a friend to offer a helping hand — just in time. Sometimes, there is a community to wrap its arms around us. Sometimes, the proverbial kindness of strangers kicks in, or the serendipitous encounter — the momentary and magical miracle of paths crossing, however briefly, precisely when it’s what we need.
A seemingly insignificant act — a smile, a nod, even a shove in the right direction — saves us, though we may not realize it at the time.
Interpret this as you will, but let me tell you about a turtle. A bewildered, wide-eyed little creature standing in the middle of the road at an intersection. I was out for a walk this morning, saw him, couldn’t bear to leave him, and ridiculous as it sounds, tried to talk him (or her) to the other side of the road. Yes, yes, I know; turtles don’t speak English, nor French, it would seem.
Fortunately, it wasn’t so early in the day that there was no one else out. I saw a man playing with his children about a block away, so I hightailed it up a hill to get close enough to flag him down as I called out, “Excuse me!” He came toward me, his kids trailing behind, and I quickly explained the situation, qualifying with the fact that “I’m a city girl and I’m afraid to pick him up.”
Happily, we hurried back to the intersection where Mr. Turtle still sat blinking and unmoving (and as yet uncrushed by traffic). The man smiled at the little guy, reached down, and picked him up carefully. He was larger than I thought — a good 8 inches long — and of course, he pulled his head and feet inside immediately, seeming to lock up any vulnerable spot with surprising speed.
My partner in animal rescue grinned and talked to him softly: “Come on, little fella, you’re all right.” (See… I wasn’t alone in trying to talk Turtle.) Then the man turned to me and said, “I’m going to take him up the street to show my kids and let him go there.”
“Thank you so much,” I said, and I returned to my walking route with a bounce in my step.
Setting aside the fact that I’m a wimp when it comes to wildlife — I know, I know; most of you wouldn’t consider a turtle “wildlife” — that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate and respect the beauty and necessity of nature’s creatures. And I couldn’t help but relate more than a little to the turtle’s predicament. How he got there, what made him stop, how terrified he was. His tale I will never know. But I certainly know what it is to set out on a venture confident that you can manage it, or thinking that you have no other option but to try, only to find yourself thwarted. You may wind up mid-journey hurt or disoriented, weary or desperate, and stuck. Truly stuck. Unable to discern which way is the right way, and afraid to move in any direction at all.
I know what it is to have fear paralyze your limbs, and worse, obliterate your ability to think clearly. And that is when we need a rescue, a lifesaver, if not of the traditional “white knight sort” — I’m not a fan of that type of rescue in relationships — then simply the hand of a friend, the patience of a kind shoulder, the tenderness of a listening ear. And, while the applications of any rescue metaphor are many, from the personal to the political, surely we can all recall times when we have been in need of someone to pick us up and help us across the proverbial street when we find ourselves at a loss.
By virtue of that hand (or shoulder or ear), we will have a greater chance at what we need. Safety. Security. Safety and security for our children. A decent life. A chance at a decent life.
I also know what it is to pull into my shell and close off access to any element of myself that feels vulnerable. But what is healing and protective for a time can become isolating and counterproductive when it goes on too long.
You may apply the varied lessons of this little anecdote to your own life (as I apply it to mine), or to far more overwhelming challenges that call us to action — from assisting our fellow Americans in Puerto Rico who are still so in need of our help to fighting for non-separation of immigrant children from their parents on our southern border.
I realize these are both extremely complex situations, and I do not mean to oversimplify. Yet I couldn’t help but think — as I saw the turtle stuck, and consequently, on the verge of disaster — how many of us, for so many reasons and in so many ways, have been rescued by those with no agenda other than to help. Sometimes we really can be rescued, or… we can be the ones to make a difference by standing up, by reaching out, and by lending a hand.
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We have snapping turtles around here and they are often on the highway. In some places people have even erected turtle crossing signs. They are usually laying their eggs somewhere sandy, or so I’m told. And then they retreat back to the river. I found one out for my run one morning. Bewildered sitting on the white line on the road. I hustled back home for Stu who moved it wearing heavy gloves… those snapping jaws can cause real damage, apparently. I was so afraid she would get run over before I came back with Stu that I’ve never run that stretch of our road so fast:)
Snapping turtles! I hadn’t even thought about that, Sue. And I do wonder where he came from. He or she, that is.
Mr. Turtle friend is a common box turtle (Terrapene carolina) that species numbers are declining because of habitat loss, roadkill, and capture for the pet trade. The species is classified as Vulnerable to threats to its survival by the IUCN Red List.
So you did a very good deed to throw it a lifesaver, assisting to the other side of the road into the country fields, D.A.!
I laughed as I have stopped right in the middle of the road to assist the turtle critters crossing several times in my life. I laughed visioning you, the City Girl.
And also relate to the metaphor because I’m currently stuck as you described and would welcome a good karma lifesaver!
With you on all points, TD! ?
You never know when you can make a difference–it might as well be positive rather than negative.
Indeed!
I’ve rescued a turtle or two, although not many. As a city-slicker myself I never feel comfortable embracing animals, so to speak, especially turtles, but I’ve done it when necessary.
The last rescue was years ago and is now enshrined in the family lore of my in-laws. I was taking my wife and her sisters for a country drive when we encountered a crossing turtle. When I returned to the car, they were all laughing. I was baffled and asked why. They said “Didn’t you see him “relieving himself”?. Apparently it was extremely obvious, even from a distance – to everyone but me, that is!
I guess I’m glad I missed it (or vice versa)!
Definitely a smirk-worthy tale, Robert!
An open heart knows no limits! You probably would have lost sleep had you walked on by, leaving him to a certain fate.