Moved by an Invertebrate

Cutest octopus in the world

(Knock it off, I'm not referring to the GOP presidential field.) Seriously; I've lived a life blessed with having become close to many animals. It's amazing to me how intimate a bond we can create with these beings with whom we share no common tongue and yet a deep language. We homo sapiens notoriously anthropomorphize, projecting human feelings out into the world, and particularly into the animals, so close to us in this dance of life. As a result we read all kinds of meanings into random behaviors that don't necessarily mean that an animal is trying to communicate anything at all, but might be just going through their lives without any reference to us ego-besotted humans. (Recently I spotted 100 or more ravens gather on the ground just outside the doors of the state capital building. Ego or not: Hmm.)

I'm not much for doting over invertebrates, really. So I was most putrefied with astonishment to be brought to tears by one. Like most people I place animals in a hierarchy from the simplest forms up, of course reserving the pinnacle for MY kind. In this scheme invertebrates fall somewhere between the heartless reptiles and the rock-like molluscs. But I recently I came across a remarkable video of an octopus coming out of the water and walking on land! That lead me to some research and an article about a special connection a woman developed with a lonely octopus that nearly brought me to tears. (And here's a great video on octopus love!)

We really do long for a deep connection with others and when that bond arises out of the mysterious wiles of nature, it is a most moving thing to us soft-hearted beings. The new movie The Whale, an amazing tale of how an animal captured the hearts of thousands, reminds me of how deeply love runs in this world. Oh how little we're yet aware of it!