Blue Fox Muse

This is an article about inspiration, transformation, and social change.

Just returned from walking my fifteen pound, white-Terrier mix, with an alpha-dog attitude we call Max. He is built like a little tank; he loves to strut his stuff. I think he possesses a big hunting-dog spirit that struggles to live in a little-dog body.

Before we got home, he had triggered a flock of crows into a panic flight. For good measure, he stood up on his muscular hind-quarters to intimidate the crows of course. As he danced with his sharp pointed ears, whiskers, and curly-cue tail, he communicated to me in strong non-verbal language: “If you will just unleash me, I will bring you back some delightful crow trophies.”

Needless to say, I laughed and told him there was no way for him to succeed with his mission, because the crows were already airborne. But of course, he wasn’t listening to me.

I recall another time when Max refused to listen to me. I had just gotten up in the morning. I opened the slider blinds in the dining room and in our master bedroom. Both sliders give us a picturesque view of our huge, rocky, pumpkin-colored berm, which is decorated with an assortment of baby-pines, strange bushes, and other wild, green things.

All of a sudden, Max went totally ballistic. He started barking and running from one slider to the other. I told him to stop but his frenzy and momentum only increased. So I looked out at the berm from the dining room slider to see what was agitating Max so much. Oh my, couldn’t believe my eyes. There were two foxes playing chase their tails, running around, darting under the wild, green things. What’s more, to my astonishment, they were not red foxes but blue ones!

This was an “ah ha” moment for me. I hadn’t known that blue foxes existed. (Did you?) And my beloved Max had brought them to my attention. Wow!

My spirit soared; for a brief moment, time stood still. It felt deliciously good to be alive. Why? Because I realized there is more to life than I know.

Sometimes it helps to embrace the mystery in life when crap confronts us. If you have been watching the news media lately, you probably know that lots of people are demonstrating against Wall Street, corporate greed, homelessness, joblessness, poverty, politicians out of touch, and a general sense that something is terribly wrong in America.

Clearly it frustrates me to realize that hunger exists in America and in the world. It’s not okay that too many of the mentally ill are living on our cold and dangerous city streets. Nobody should have to go bankrupt over medical bills. Nobody should be without a job. College graduates shouldn’t have to deal with monstrous tuition debt that can reach as high as $60,000 or more. And to top it off, we have elected officials who refuse to compromise; so we can’t get anything done to fix such needless, human suffering.

It is a mystery to my why so many people are hurting in this country and around the world. I feel frustrated, overwhelmed, depressed.

Although, I don’t know how to solve the world’s problems, I can share with you my “ah ha” moments. We can let this Light shine and pass it forward to others.

For me, I have decided to volunteer with my wife, at a local thrift-store, which supports our Human Society. Max by the way, is a rescued dog. I’m also working on a project in our little town of Cave Junction, Oregon to start a poetry slam. Through the power of the written and spoken word, I’m trying to give those who have been silent too long an opportunity to find their voice.

Blue foxes exist; heroes exist. Change is possible. Let’s start with treasuring and sharing those blue fox moments.