An Ode to Sophia

Like most of the world tonight or now glancing at my cell's never-ending and unnerving reminders, when you awake and wipe those sleepy cobwebs from your eyes away this morning as the Sun Himself is rising already right alongside you, I guess it's already tomorrow, or today, depending on you look at it, but regardless:

Carpe Diem!

I too enjoyed last night's high-scoring Super Bowl and more so the effortless, ceaseless?carving hard, geared-up, war-paint stretched under their eyes, these warriors doing all their best and all in the pursuit?of that holiest of the grails in their respective trade:?

The Vince Lombardi Trophy.?

As I sat there upon the my couch, adjacent to my beautiful Mom, enjoying the delectable and delicious meal we had cooked together earlier {which are priceless memories to me here and now forevermore} watching and engaging together in the game, rapping and whickering and whack-thwacking back?and forth about who should have done this and done make hard that play, hold the line here, go forward fierceless now, this and that, like we're coaches, ha!, and blah, blah, blah, ~ but secretly we both knew equally and truthfully we came here for the commercials.?

And somehow that got me thinking which is a dangerous?past-time of mine. ( ;

Sitting there I began to think about what it means the most to each of us in terms of acquiring meaningful experiences and memories in the making. Like what are you truly willing to do, like what sacrifices are you willing to make, to get your own feet wet for again and more so why?

Is it the actual event expiring or is it what we'll remember years back, laughing together over a pitcher of margaritas and so-called over purified water?, all the while hoping optimistically?for a better world??

So if you will be so kind, please indulge me here as I share one of the memories that surfaced to my mine during this time, if you're willing:?

It's ironic what we will sacrifice?most to achieve believing that it somehow will bring us the highest and most lightheartedness to our individual hearts, some lightness to our existence. But seeking what we most often thinks will bring us peace seldom does. Indeed it oftentimes weighs us down the hardest, be it money or a larger home or yachts or exotic cars or designer dresses and such with diamonds falling off sideways as our expectations and heart's truest desires do, like those all too sexy high heel shoes alongside!, be still my beating heart!, and for what as we are willing to give up true and lasting happiness in this pursuit.

What article ever written on LinkedIn or any word ever mentioned above holds more weight or value than the priceless smile and the sound of laughter from your Mom, or a hug from your Dad, or an unexpected embrace from your child, or a handshake from a colleague for a project that finally comes to fruition, or goodness, just the random kindness of a smile from some passerby at the local grocery store?

Nothing is more valuable in this fleeting version we call life than the gift that we are ever-so lucky to call love!

For reasons that I hope one day will reckon up and raise their reasoning to me, as I sat there upon the couch adjacent to my Mom watching these modern day gladiators wreak havoc?upon one another?all in the pursuit of finding purpose and dare I say freedom, yes, freedom from a singularity of a version of life that they have perhaps only ever known?... Regardless, a memory of sorts {and pardon the pun here} slithered-snaked surfaced all up to the Hippocampus of my mind.?

Science is an art in and of itself and the artist referenced in the remaining aspects of this article that I am referring are the artists that we call doctors and scientists, most especially those?who are most focused upon achieving a deeper understanding of the absolute most complex "machine" ever constructed: The human mind.? Such a scientist was Doctor Thibeau and we'll get back to him in a moment.

The Hippocampus is the deepest and most complex aspect of our minds, holding the hardest parts of our indelible and indefinable memories, events that we cannot let go of no matter how hard we try, as if this sacred area of our minds is an ocean of still unexplored territory, and dare I say it, of possibility.?

Some years?ago, while still a young man in the making {though truth?be told I suppose I still am a man in the making}, I found myself sitting comfortably?in the back fourth row of my advanced Biology 404 class, distracted in my thoughts, articles I needed to write for the local?paper, tapes to pre-prep for my DJ lodging upcoming?that afternoon before going live {I was a DJ for years and still bewildered that the FCC allowed me access to the airways!, ha}, and yes, truth be told, I was equally distracted?by the soft shoulder lines of Angie Dawson, another advanced biology student in my class who by happenstance and Heaven's {or Hell's!} circumstance was sitting directly in the third row before me utterly distracting me as if that was her sole purpose in life! Well, technically she was sitting 145 degrees?to my left but who's really counting numbers here?

But as delightful and innocent as she looked that day, as she consistently always did, this particular article has nothing to do with her directly. Rather, it has everything to do with a different lady, a girl that ironically held no initicing necklines or inviting blouses or even words to be exchanged.

Indeed she wasn't even human.

This girl was named Sophia.?

You see Sophia, exquisite to behold, called towards her as if by a Siren's sing-song missive on some mythological Greek shoreline, was a 14 foot long Burmese python who had been comfortably living for the past three years in this specially and specifically designed "home" cage with warming lights, and things and trees and items to swarm and slither and snuggle-snap all around, and logs plentifully?for her to sail and slide gently along throughout her day. ?

With my mind beautifully distracted upon everything?described?aforementioned, Dr. Thibeau {our blessed professor and teacher?in so many ways} asked a question among the class that to this day I will never forget nor regret:

"Students, Sophia needs attending to. Nothing more than any of us other animals need.?Who among you will volunteer?to help me to care for her?"

Call it madness.?Call it lunacy.?Call it a crawl towards derangement of self-perseverance.?Call it being a lifelong Cleveland Browns fan! {which I think is synonymous with lunacy!} Call it a way to be an enthusiastic?soul who might have been and perhaps still is a little momentarily lost in time. Call it whatever?you want, but I instantly?raised my hand, and more to the point, leaped up out of my hardened plastic chair declaring?that I would be honored to care for Sophia.?

Instantly and without hesitation, Dr. T acknowledged my answer to the call and that proverbial pen of care was signed over to me.

And I know this may sound like it's teetering on the edge of madness but I swear when I wholeheartedly gave myself up as the volunteer, when I turned to my left, gazing into Sophia's raised pythonic and ecliptic head, lifting her head ever so, she gazed directly and straight back at me, eyes locking upon each other.?Sizing me up, if you will, as if she knew what had been requested of me and I would be her handler, or better said, with hope and time her companion.?For a moment though that was probably nothing more than an edge of seconds, our eyes engaged and locked simultaneously and to this day I swear, with my right hand to God, she flicked her forked tongue out in approval as she lowered her gaze before me as if she even needed to do that.?To this day, I think she knew exactly what was being demanded and required of me and she acquiesced?to my enthusiasm and willingness to nurture her cares and concerns.

Ironic how many human relationships fall under the same categorization...

Either case, so let me paint you a funny picture:

A few days had passed since my commitment and the day came when it was time for Sophia's bath {yes, they do dive into the waters when possible to cleanse and feel clear from the dusty dirt of the day}.?Class had commenced and had then ended for the day and as my fellow students had lassoed up their belongings and scurried around like little student squirrels, busying themselves along with their next task, Sophia and I had a different agenda.

For today was Sophia's spa salon day {ha!}

When all of the accompanying students had left, Dr. T led me over to Sophia's glass-caged warmed home.? Suddenly I was opening up the door?and being allowed to touch her as she simultaneously was touching me, a first of times for us both, and tantamount in amazingness the experience to embrace each other's shorelines. Such an amazing?moment! The slowness of her power.?The gentle strength?of her wrapping herself around me.?The silky smoothness of her scales as her muscles rippled and ignited across my skin. And all the while, I possessed the realization of what she could do to me in an instant if she so changed her mind. Her depth, her strength, her gentleness.

Forgive the wordsmithing here, but such a woman she was!?

But I felt no trepidation?or fear for she was gentle in her movements.?

So now let me you paint you a funnier picture:?

With Sophia firmly wrapped along my entire body, all of her 200+ pounds {don't tell her I said that for some girls tend to get a little sensitive about their weight ya know}, she coiled herself up all around her newfound keeper and companion.?

I gotta admit in this moment of truth I had to wonder what if she just couldn't just decide, you know, whether to let me carry her around allowing her to taste and touch the rooms before us, or to simply strangle me cold right there and eat me raw with A-1 steak sauce not needed.

Again, reflecting upon this moment, it mimics some human relationships that I have personally previously known. Perhaps you can relate too?

As she continued in her maneuvers and motions, her body sliding and seducing?all around me, commanding in her actions, like some Argentine tango with her in the lead and me her passive?companion. But she was as gentle and friendly as one could have hoped for as she commenced our first "dance" of sorts, an embrace and dance that we would repeat for years yet to come.?

At the risk of sounding all Hallmark-cheesy, and in that moment knowing that this creature could crush me in an instant, she recognized the softness in my own eyes when we first glanced at one another, and as I thoroughly put my trust into her I believe that she equally did so into me.?

Our relationship, our dance, had begun...

So armed with a 245 pound python {and again, please don't mention her weight to her!}, Dr. T, Sophia and I made our way to the elevator to the right of the building to take Sweet Sophie Babylove down to the sub-basement levels for her monthly bath. At that moment, we we're all on level four of our biology building and so we descended, the three of us, for a Sophia's spa day of sorts.

When the elevator doors opened up prematurely here now on floor level one, as elevators do for unanticipated?and unexpected?accompanying guests requesting their services {how rude, right!}, there before us stood a silent, reticent, pretty and taciturn young student clearly lost in her own thoughts. Armed all Herculean?style with her garrulous books galore, she looked up and stood horror struck as she began to enter the elevator staring at this equally young man entangled with a massive python.

If only I could have recorded that scream!, Hollywood be damned!, for the money it would have made for movies yet to be written.

Before either Dr. T or I could offer any plausible explanation, this poor young thing still screaming in terror, like that blood curdling utterance that you hear in a wonderful scary Halloween movie, she instantly dropped all of her books and notes with no regard and ran towards the nearest exit out of the biology building. ?

As the elevator door closed, without exchanging a word between us, Dr. Thibeau and I, my goodness, we looked at one another and burst out laughing!?

And as we shared this laugh together, Sophia raised her head up as if in bewilderment and wonderment of the moment that just transpired. Minutes later and as inquisitive as ever, we finally arrived to the subfloor and brought her to her favorite bathtub {for again, like most girls, pythons too enjoy a good spa day!}. After her soaking, we dried her gently off, fed her {I'll spare ya those details but she is a python!, so yeah it was a tad gruesome but come on!}, and then she wrapped herself all around me, all 200 and now 51 pounds of her {again, don't say anything!}, and I sailed her back up to her warm home to the fourth floor.

About two years later, Sophia left this version of what we all call life. I think about her often, that precious exchange that I was offered to build with a different life form, and to care for another deeply, be it they walk on two legs, four legs or no legs at all. Just moving throughout life with the same curiosity of the soul that any life possesses. Albeit her body is no longer upon this Earth, she never left the untamed parts of my heart and reminding me what it means to truly be alive: To move and exist effortlessly, to experience and to care for another completely and with no regard to oneself, and ultimately, to love another and be loved equally back.

At the end of the day, isn't that what most of us, if not all of us, crave?

So the point of this story, if there ever is one, be it mundane or mercurial, is that it was magical for me to be a part of of Sophia's life and to have reached one another's shorelines.? Through the years of caring for her, she affected me as much as I know I did for her.

Most of us have resting or perhaps even rising fears inside, be it about snakes or spiders or the fear of heights, or on some days simply opening up our bank accounts and 401{k}s statements and screeching out loud?in horror just?like that young girl did back before the elevator.

Or sometimes, especially these days, so many are worried if they'll just be able to buy food for the next week, pay the next month's rent, hold up the roof and hold onto the home that we each have put so much love and time and tenderness into.

Thing of it is, in life most things that we fear aren't really "things" at all nor ironically ultimately things that will happen.?Let that point of view for a bit sink in for a bit.

Most of us aren't terrifyingly scared of our next car payment or mortgage or cellphone bill or whatever that might be on our mind.?We are just ultimately concerned that we aren't gonna meet those needs for those that mean the most to us, like our partners or children, and to not be a disappointment?to our parents.

Ultimately, the worst fears we have to punch through are those that steel hard inside of us, working us over daily to the Other Side, hitting our shorelines hardest. Ironically, most of the fears and challenges and precipices we face are those that while we create in our heads and hold most unfairly?but dearest to our hearts, are but ultimately fears that will never occur.

In other words, oftentimes, we can be our own worst enemies.

Thing of it is, more than we recognize,?most of the time {and trust me I am deeply and most definitely guilty of this sentiment here of any of us}, those items that we worry most about, especially how they might affect our lives and those around us, rarely actually transpire and turn out to be wasted time of energy, time we could have been utilizing enjoying the ones that we are most happy?to around. Damn the torpedoes Captain!, for life is both long and short and we must not waste nor worry ourselves upon distractions and distinctions, but rather focus upon loving one another.

Of all the problems we face as a species, love is the only acceptable answer and panacea.

I know that may be hard to accept, to not worry so much and rather be focused on loving our family and friends, neighbors and naysayers. But trust me my friend, this is an incontrovertible and beautiful truth of the Universe and when you finally surrender yourself to this concept, oh my!, what a world it will be for you!?

Don't get me wrong.?It's all hard.?Life. Especially these days.?I see it all around me and in so many innumerable ways.?

Words are more easily expressed than the actions that beckon us to follow through with must be done and tasks accomplished ~ but follow through with your commitments, even if only you understand and accept their meaning in that moment in time, even if they are the tiniest of promises, for the Timeless Above gesticulates and signals silently for our individual souls to win by following through to the end.

You are stronger inside than all the fears that exist outside of You.

Remember that Child.??

Post Script:?Sophia & I enjoyed a long and healthy relationship, as one python to another man could ever strive for. Sophia and her snake kindred aren't scary.?If anything, they're more questionable and curious about life and us and hold no ill will towards any human.?

And like every other creature in this world, they just want to exist peacefully and live their lives respected by others as they gently move throughout the same space, in the same world that was gifted to them as it was equally and tantamount gifted to us.? In other words, they have every right to exist here as we do to. So let's exercise that promise to one another, to be at peace with all those other species occupying the same place that we all call "home", and indeed between one another, human to human, despite the colors and orientations that we arrive into this world as, and strive towards peacefully existing among one another. An obtainable coexistence is possible but only if we all collectively choose that reality. Like war, peace is also a choice. I harbor hope that we will chose the latter before the former, for ultimately, in the end, isn't that we are all striving for?, to simply live in peace with one another and inside the waves of the mysteries of this magical Universe?

For until mankind can learn to extend his kindness to other living creatures, he himself will not know peace.?

Flickering tongue and all, Sophia would undoubtedly wholeheartedly agree.

So glad you're here!