Around the Bluhmin’ Town

By

Judy Bluhm

What a week. My minister likes to say that “the world is not a terrible place, it is just a place where terrible things can happen.” So true. It gets hard some days to read, watch or think about the state of affairs. More folks are gravitating towards social media accounts that show animal and baby videos. Why not? Joy is a something we want, and we need to work at filling up our minds, hearts and souls with the “good, fun and happy.”

The folks of Lake Tahoe had an “ice cream event” that reminded them that in world filled with disagreement, every living creature seems to agree on one thing. We love ice cream. A local ice cream shop serves a special flavor every month. “Honey” is a favorite. So, one morning when the shopkeeper arrived at work, imagine his shock when he found a blackbear passed out on the floor and all the honey ice cream gone. Into the bear’s tummy.

Wildlife officials came and gently awakened the bear and guided him to more bear-friendly spaces. They also paid for all the tubs of ice cream that the bear had demolished. Funny, the bear only chose “honey,” no sprinkles added.

Maybe when the news is harsh and the times seem so treacherous, having a bear overdose on ice cream is one way to break the gloom cycle. Animals bring us unfiltered joy with their little shenanigans. When news events portray suffering and evil, it does help by looking out the window at a bird building a nest, a photo of a bear passed out over a bin of ice cream, or seeing your doggy wag his tail.

Hope doesn’t always come easily and perhaps is not always evident. But it is out there. I notice the last of the sunflowers still reach towards the heavens as if they believe the seasons aren’t changing. My dog wakes up and acts as though this will be his best day. Ever. A cup of coffee in the morning tastes like a new beginning. A cool breeze whispers that everything will be alright.

The story the Navajos sometimes tell is how an elder prayed for rain at a gathering, but only one person showed up with an umbrella. That is called faith. When we throw a baby up in the air, the baby laughs because he knows we will catch him. That is trust. A group of kindergarten kids went on a field trip to a ranch. One boy walked into the barn and came out yelling, “Yuck, there’s so much manure!” Another child then raced to the barn saying, “With so much poop, I bet I’ll find a unicorn!” That’s perspective.

Yes, there is violence and fighting that we can witness too readily on our newsfeed. At times, it feels like everyone is shouting and the volume is turned up, with society collapsing from the weight of its own discord. But it’s not.

Goodness prevails. Listen closely. It is often quieter than the roar of discontent. Look carefully. In the middle of a mess, there might be a unicorn. Or a tub of honey ice cream.

Judy Bluhm is a writer and a local realtor. Contact Judy at [email protected]or visit www.aroundthebluhmintown.com.