Do As
A Doe
Early
last spring we lost our spots, and on some of my friendsÕ heads, small fuzzy
antlers budded and grew like trees. These antlered boys quickly became very competitive
with each other, charging fiercely if another should cross their path.
I
just stand and watch. I am a doe, and for the time being I am content to stay
by my motherÕs side.2 She is the wisest, oldest doe in our herd. A
flick from her [1]white-plumed
banner of a tail is enough to start the whole family running. She watches the world
through shiny brown eyes, ever more observant than interfering. Her large ears
stand alert, taking in every sound; she is constantly aware of our surrounding
landscape. I follow her and learn from her what is safe and what is not. When a
strange deer comes too close, she stamps her feet forcibly and snorts her
disapproval[2]—a
double edged warning to the intruder to not come closer, and to her family that
something is awry.3 Nobody has to tell us the meaning of these
signals or how to perform them, we all have that information tucked deep in
between our heartstrings.
Today
is going to be a good, bright day, so we go bounding in that open meadow where the
grass grows so tall that it hides us completely if we stop moving. We leap to
keep each other in sight. Times before our handsome stags would lead the way
but today is winter, and our males are gaunt and ragged from the rut, so this
morning IÕm leaping at the front of the herd with my mother and my aunts.5
Our breath draws in sharp, cold air but our muscles are warm in our shaggy
winter coats.6 We plow through the crisp vegetation into a shaded
wood.7 Even though the females are leading today, there is no one
lead doe when we are running; we wind through the trees effortlessly, like
starlings, noting subtle changes in distance between our bodies that cue us
collectively as to which way the herd is moving. We move as one through
evergreen thickets and leafless bramble—maneuvering over, under, dodging,
twisting, until finally we emerge on the other side. There is a creek here,
radiant and pristine, and as old as the forest itself. Our tongues are
sticky and dry from breathing our warm mist into the dry winter air, but before
we drink we must first look, and listen. A rustle of leaves here, a snapping of
branches there, and now only silence. Only when we are certain there are no
threats nearby will the elders and the high-borns finally dip their glistening
black snouts into the water.8
Suddenly,
the colors are gone and I snap awake from my dream. I am sitting in PCL, my
face buried in my Organic Chemistry textbook. I am clumsy. I wipe some drool
from my book and hurriedly sear[3]ch
for my iPhone and am relieved to find it on the floor by my foot. I kick myself
for not being more careful. The visions of the doe and the herd are gone, but
her lessons are persistent and stay with me in my wakefulness.
The
first lesson is Awareness: do not fall asleep in the library with your
valuables about you.10 I have the tendency to glaze over at every
chance I get, to the point where somebody could start talking directly to me
and I would not know it. The doe has many things to think about, and perhaps
much more than I do, but the agility of her mind as well as her body keeps her
and her loved ones safe. Like her, I must use my senses to become attuned to
the sounds and sights and smells around me. Sometimes I even get lost going to
places I have been to many times before. She chastises me for this; I must not
be ignorant of my surroundings.11
She
teaches me[4] Cautiousness. ÒWhite-tails are the most
cautious of creatures.Ó13 Before doing anything, before going
anywhere, the number one priority must be security. The doe does not charge
headlong into the fray. She stays on the outskirts and watches quietly while
deciding whether to stay or to run. She is measured, and she is calculating. As
soon as danger outweighs the benefit, she bolts. She holds to her precept so
faithfully that other animals see Òthe presence of deer as a safety signal.Ó14
She reminds me of this virtue when I find myself launching blindly into
uncertain situations. When I donÕt need to protect myself against physical
harms, the doe helps me avoid emotional disasters. When I nosedive into a busy
week without having scheduled out my workload, IÕm headed straight into a
mental overload and I need a lesson from the doe. Even in the face of
unforeseen circumstances, she always has an alternate plan or an escape route
to make sure she is never overwhelmed in any situation. She is sharp enough to
navigate her territory without worry of getting lost in the folds of her mind.
She follows and trusts her gut instincts based on a solid repertoire of common
sense, and isnÕt afraid to cut any interaction short in order to bring herself
or her herd to higher ground.15
All
wild animals move with a grand sense of purpose. They are neither hesitant nor
meandering, never dal[5]lying
with things that donÕt help them or their group. The white-tailed deer
exemplifies this lesson as a prey animal and is thereby constantly reminding me
of the urgency of life—how there are always new things to be doing,
places to be exploring, and friends and families to be nurturing. I waste so
much time in my day-to-day lifestyle. The doe lives productively,
resourcefully, and abundantly, and has much to teach me in this regard. There
is seldom a moment when she is not active, and even in her downtime she can be
found investigating curious objects, playing in the water, finding new things
to eat.16 When I find my flow of energy becoming clogged or
stagnant, I look to the doe to lead me by her example.
There
is a strong sense of hierarchy in a deer herd. The doe is a picture of
submission to authority, but she has no qualms about taking up effective and
streamlined leadership when it is her turn.18 Every fall the
antlered stags break from the herd to fight and to mate, and when they come
back in the winter haggard and exhausted, the herd reverts to a matriarchal
power sys[6]tem.
The doe teaches me that while I may naturally be quiet and accommodating, I have
it in me to be a strong and genuine leader if called upon. She knows her place
in her herd; she follows those above her and commands the same respect from
those below her. I have always found it easier to defer my opinions to the
bottom rung of the ladder and let others sort things out. The doe teaches me
that there are times that my unique voice needs to be heard above the others.
She
communicates her thoughts effectively without being ostentatious or verbose.
Every movement she makes is understated and concise, and there is no
misunderstanding her when she stomps her foot assertively or flicks her tail in
alarm. She is a master of diverting conflict and offering her gentle support to
herd mates in need—but when situations do arise, she is not afraid to
confront them.19 There is infinite generosity and gentleness in a
doeÕs heart, but if she should feel threatened and cornered, she is more than
capable of dealing serious damage. Female deer have been known to trample
hungry coyotes to bloody deaths, while I can be so conciliatory at times that I
would probably let the coyote eat me.20 She knows when to use her
power and when to use her charms. Unlike the doe, I often find myself avoiding
communicating my thoughts. The doeÕs medicine helps me when I canÕt find the
words to express myself. She gives voice to my inner tumult. Dee[7]r
even have roles in Japanese and Celtic mythology as messengers, because they
are such great communicators.21 They have an army of vocalizations
at their command to express different things: ÒEar-piercing
whistlesÉhair-raising shrieksÉbugling, bleating, snorting rage or disgust.Ó22
I, on the other hand, have a tendency to weave layered stories and artfully
trickle around the subject when it is time for confrontations. The doeÕs spirit
gives me strength to peer at my foe with perceptive but unjudging eyes, and she
inspires me to be as pacific or as aggressive as need be. Listen below for the white-tailÕs warning call.
+++
She
is beautiful without being decorated, cautious and yet c[8]urious,
orderly and yet wild. When I close my eyes and envision the lifestyle and
habits of the white-tailed doe, I find myself being drawn more and more to her
subtle but powerful energy. There are similarities as well as differences in
our separate natures but I recognize her gentle wisdom and healing spirit can
have a profound impact on my life. She has much to teach me still with her
mysterious ways and secluded nature. I hold to the belief thatÒÉthe divine
forces speak to humans through the natural world.Ó24 The more I am
able to understand these dignified animals, the more I am able to speak their
language, and thus be transformed by their power.
Word count without quotes: 1602
Word count with quotes: 1644
Illustration
captions:
1)
Sexual dimorphism in white-tail deer.1
2)
Tall grass offers camouflage.4
3)
A doe cautiously takes her first sip from
a winter stream.9
4)
The doe is queen of perception12
5)
Playtime for deer = active bonding
time.17
6)
Sound
clip of one of the stranger white-tail vocalizations.
This is called an "aggressive rattle."23
URL
of Blog:
https://courses.utexas.edu/webapps/blackboard/execute/viewBlog?course_id=_138738_1&blog_id=_47936_1&blog_course_user_id=_2779834_1&type=blogs&group_id=&gml_reload=&callBackUrl=