You might just (completely unexpectedly!) become
the best part of someone’s day.
Picture it: Sicily. Mississauga. Springtime. 2021.
*channels Sophia Petrillo*
My kitchen table. The bird feeder outside swings, suddenly. Whaps! into the window and incites an unsightly startled-coffee-choke. I compose myself and feel the burn: two dark, beady squirrel eyes bore into my head. Irritated that I disturbed him. (The nerve of me!) He returns to his thievery. (The nerve of HIM!)
He’s a picky little f*cker. Likes only the choicest seeds. He reaches into the hanging horn-of-plenty with his wee Houdini-hands to throw all the non-favourites away (and makes a major mess on my patio furniture). He’s the smallest dude of the litter but puts off real Godfather vibes. A true thug.
So, I did what any petty human would: I gave that ballsy stooge the ol’ stink eye. Put my face right up to the glass to show him who was boss. Concentrated eyeball messaging: Get. Off. My. Bird Feeder.
Yo, that brazen rodent CAME. FOR. ME.
Launched its scrawny self on its fuzzy legs STRAIGHT AT MY FACE. And Latched. Onto. The. Screen.
HOR-ROR!!!
(*witch-shrieks, coffee spillage, lunatic arm-flails*)
Hand-to-sky, the window glass saved my life. Because with ZE-RO doubt, Gangsta-Rodent meant to bust that screen and nosh my face off. FOR SURE.
And while I banshee-wailed and full-body twitched, the flying savage flipped backwards onto the ledge, demon-scrambled up into position and threw itself right back onto the bird feeder. Whap!-ing it into the window (again). And then re-engaged(!) in a deadlock eye-glare that, just for a second, actually made me shake a little in my Levi’s.
(Apparently, this type of machismo isn’t unique to my deck…but I digress.)
Know what?
Since then, that wily critter’s become my favourite afternoon thing. Real entertainment. My whole family is enamoured. He’s got chutzpah. He’s interesting. He’s become, dare I say it, adorable. The bugger has our respect.
Why?
Because he figured out how to MacGyver himself onto the “squirrel-proof” bird feeder. Because he held an actual giant (me) at bay. And then, even when it must’ve been terrifying, he just went for it. Pitched himself forward on all cylinders. With courage and (yes, truly) personality. And he WON.
All this to say, you may be small and think there’s no way your advice, kind word, product, service or audience is big enough. Not mighty enough to make any difference or ripple but I promise you, it is. You are.
The itty bittiest things can seem inconsequential, but they might mean the most, do the most, ripple outward the very most of all. They can change the world. Or inexplicably cultivate happiness. Or laughter. Or jaw-dropping productivity. All pretty spectacular outcomes.
(Less Puffy-takes-on-Ted is this 5-seconds-to-melt-my-cold-dark-heart moment that also sums things up, nicely.)
Bottom line:
Be scrappy. A little wild. Be brave. Or be scared but do it anyway.
With gumption and fire and persistence. YOUR WAY.
Little punk (appropriately) emerging from the shadows
❤️❤️❤️
With big, big love,
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