Meet Chip

Healing my nervous system one day at a time

Chip - he’s such a little poser…

I’ve been a startler my entire life. Not one who startles others but one who is easily startled. It doesn’t take much to make me jump. I’ve written about my absolute terror of mice - I can’t explain why a big ol black bear can elicit pure joy and amazement - while I run for the hills if I see a mouse.

It’s because they startle me. They scurry. They’re unexpected. And those tails…

It was one of my greatest fears when I moved to the country. I am not kidding. I made it over two years without seeing one until an unfortunate major startling incident happened in the barn. Now, after finding multiple nests everywhere (of course, there are…it’s a barn!) I actually have a mouse guy who “handles” the situation.

I’m sure there are all kinds of scientific reasons why some people startle, and others don’t, but as usual, I go straight to Ayurveda. It’s excess Vata, plain and simple.

Mind you, this is my personal assessment, resulting from a lifetime of a lot of this dosha in my constitution and now being firmly in the Vata time of my life.

Vata dosha rules the nervous system. That pretty much sums it up, don’t you think? When we are in a state of fear or anxiety - chalk it up to excess Vata.

I really do believe that fate brought me here, to this peaceful quiet little corner of the world, to help regulate my nervous system. As I type, the only sounds I hear are the gentle breeze and the birds. And, oh, wait! Is that Chip chirping??

I’m laughing at the silliness of this post, but I hope you’ll stay with me.

If you haven’t guessed by now, Chip is the resident chipmunk where I live. Unlike mice, I find chipmunks adorable. I cannot explain why—they’re both rodents, after all.

Most mornings, Chip is waiting for me at my kitchen door because I was leaving him little treats - nuts and seeds and berries, mostly. I stopped leaving them, though, because when I would open the door, I envisioned him making a mad dash into my cozy lil house. Can you imagine my nervous system with a chipmunk loose inside? 😳

Instead, I throw some nuts and seeds under the bird feeder where he happily shares them with Clara, the mourning dove, and her family.

Please don’t scold me for leaving treats for wild animals. I do bring in the feeders when I’m not home and at night so as not to tempt the bears.

At first, there were so many “Eeks!!” as Chip dashed across my patio while I was sipping tea or reading a book. Up fly my feet! Now, I’m more likely to jump just slightly and yell, “Chip! Don’t startle me!” He stops, looks at me, and then goes on his merry way.

He is so darn cute.

When you slow down and really watch the animals, it’s amazing, therapeutic, and somewhat calming to the nervous system.

Chip has one entrance to his abode right in front of my kitchen window. All day long, I see him scurry back and forth, wishing I had x-ray vision to get a glimpse of his pad.

Of course, I have no idea if Chip is a he or a she. And I know that Chip is probably the most unoriginal name I could have come up with.

He (let’s just say “he”) also likes to play inside my woodpile, hence his habit of dashing across my patio. Maybe he has a “friend” living there. He pretty much stays on the north side of the property and can often be seen scampering across my driveway and up one of the tall White Pines.

Did I tell you there’s also a Dale? Friend or foe to Chip (evidently, they’re pretty solitary and territorial animals), they can be seen chasing one another ACROSS MY PATIO on the daily. This usually elicits another “Don’t startle me!”

I have a hard time telling them apart, but when they go their separate ways, Dale always heads south across the yard, as Chip heads to the north. I tried to get a photo of the two of them together, but this was the best I could do.

Early in the morning, I like to go outside and put my feet on the dewy grass and face the rising sun while doing qigong. As I’m ending it with some quiet moments of meditation, I swear to you that Chip looks like he’s joining me!

Namaste

Last but not least, Chip likes to hang out on this particular Geranium plant. I wonder if he’s been busy storing nuts in it.

Although I feel my nervous system reacting less and less to being startled by Chip (and Dale) if either of them dared to run up my pant leg as one did to my friend’s daughter, well, suffice it to say I’ll be back at square one.

While I hear bits and pieces of nonsense going on in our wide world, I like to believe that living in harmony with the plants and animals will somehow reverberate peaceful energy into the field. Maybe if we all took a little time to do this, it would have a ripple effect. It doesn’t have to involve a chipmunk.

I feel like the collective nervous system of our world could use this, don’t you?

And, in case you’re wondering why I named Chip, Chip, and Dale, Dale, here’s a little blast from the past for my fellow baby boomers (and the rest of you, too!)

Much Love,
Barbara

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