I am that 1%

I thought I'd start with this...

Just thought I'd let that be known.
Anyway, now to move on to something more serious. I know, I know...

I try really hard to keep my posts fairly entertaining... sometimes.
I try to keep them politically dry... sometimes.
I try not to write if I can't make it "happy," and "light..." sometimes.
If I know I can't possibly do any of these things, then I usually won't post, or I'll borrow someone else's posts for what I like to call "guided writing..." sometimes.

This time is different, and I apologize for that. Wait, no... you know what?!?! I don't apologize because I don't want to. If people don't like it, then they can bite me! Hmphhh...
No, not really...  I apologize for that.

So, I decided yesterday, that my turtle and I have a lot in common. Yes, that's right... Florence and I seem to be on the same path lately.

Saturday night, the wife and I had a party for the girls on her tennis team, and of course the coach. Before the party, the wife was in the utility room, where poor Florence lives. It's actually not a bad spot for her since it has a fluorescent light, and that's supposed to be good for reptiles. Florence is a reptile... in case you didn't know. That's why I had her in my kindergarten classroom. We were learning about such things, and it was nice to have a living example that the kids could hold, and take care of. Anyway, the wife said Florence wasn't feeling well... how would you know a turtle isn't feeling well, you might ask. When you can reach in, and pet her little turtle head, and she doesn't duck into her shell, you know you've got an issue. The wife put lettuce in her tank, gave her fresh water, and we made sure to leave the fluorescent light on, because more often than not, we turn it off, and poor Florence is left in the dark.

Here's the deal with Florence... she's depressed. She didn't care whether we touched her head or not. Nothing is exciting. She lives in her tank, looking at the same four walls, listening to the dogs bark, very little human contact, and nothing to do, leaving nothing to think about, and nothing to talk about when she does have human contact, watching life pass her by, with nothing to show for it, and nothing to be excited about. Oh wait... that's me... those last few parts.

Yesterday, I took Florence out for a turtle walk. It was warm with sunshine, as I placed her in the middle of the back yard, and then sat on the steps and waited. Soon, she poked her head out, looked around and started her trek through the grass... amazingly fast for a turtle. They can run, by the way. She made it to the rock wall, then I moved her and let her do it again. She was happy, and free, and challenged. I felt guilty when it came time for her to go back in her tank.

My promise to Florence is that I will try to get her out more... giver her a challenge... give her some excitement... be there for her. Yes Florence, for you my little turtle, the easiest pet I have, I will be there for you. Just as I need to be there for myself. Get myself out, challenge myself, take care of myself...it's just so much easier to focus on Florence right now.