Coon Dog Courageous
By now, most of you are familiar with my dog, Anna. Well, last week I found out what she's really made of.It was early morning and I was sitting on the patio recording a dream in my journal. Anna was lying at my feet when suddenly we heard a rustling noise in the azalea bushes. My mind raced to the news report from the night before of a bear sighting not far from our house but my body just sat there, paralyzed.
When the noisemaker came out from under the bushes we were face to face with a large raccoon, who raised his back and growled an unearthly growl. I grabbed my coffee to go into the house, reached the back door and, noticing that my coffee was spilling, set the cup down before going inside. (That tells you something about MY instincts -- "don't make a mess!"). Safely inside, I then proceeded to scream at the top of my lungs because instead of following me, Anna had gone right after that raccoon and they were locked in a horrendous brawl on the patio. The noise was unbelievable! I was sure that if I looked, one or both of them would be... well, you know.... so not knowing what to do, I just stood in the kitchen with my back to the scene and screamed.
Meanwhile, my husband was emerging from the shower. (Are you getting the picture?) Responding to my screams and the horrible sounds from the backyard, he raced down the stairs (yep, buck naked) and opened the door to rescue Anna, but by this time the raccoon was hiding behind a tree. It slowly made its way back into the woods while Anna proudly turned and headed into the house with Mike; she had survived the battle without a scratch. She was far more nervous about the subsequent visit to the vet than she was about tackling that raccoon!
It took awhile for the shock to wear off, but when I was able to settle down I realized I had learned a lot through this little episode:
- Anna ain't nothing but a hound dog -- really!
- I have two great protectors in Mike and Anna.
- Sometimes my "flight response" is stronger than my "fight response," and probably for a very good reason.
- My need for order and cleanliness is even stronger than my fear. Man! What does that say?? I'll have to ponder that one....
- It's okay to ask (or scream) for help!
"Courage is doing what you're afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you're scared." ~Edward Vernon Rickenbacker
Anna and friend, flaked outP.S. If you'd like to gain insight and awareness without the trauma of a coon fight (and have fun!), join me on the Practicing Awareness Retreat.