25.8.10

if: atmosphere



I'm back from a beautiful vacation in North Carolina.

Only bad moment was during a hike in the Smokey Mountains when I almost stepped on a rattlesnake.

It was my fault.

(It's generally the human's fault, isn't it?)

I was dreaming (and dreading, but mostly dreaming) of seeing a bear, and looking around instead of at the ground.

When I heard the rattle noise (not that I knew what it was) and turned down, the snake was a foot distance from my foot. And it was a lot bigger than my foot. It was green. I can't really describe it much more because all I saw was its neck, all stiff and it´s open mouth. I froze. Then I jumped. It all happened quickly but it seemed long. My legs trembled for almost the rest of the walk.

Later, when we crossed a ranger and he told us rattlesnakes bites are not necessarily fatal (sometimes you only loose the leg...) I became kind of mystical about the incident. I take it as a metaphor, that I almost lost my leg (or died) because I was wishing for imaginary bears instead of looking at what was on my path, right in front of me. I take it as a suggestion to advance more mindfully.

Later that day I read that Cherokee people, who lived in those mountains, healed rattlesnake bites with plants and roots. And that they would use the exact same remedy on people who'd been bitten than on people who'd only dreamed of being bitten.

Atmosphere, such an external word... But aren't atmospheres made of perception? Aren't dreams full of them?

The day after, a local told me that if a rattlesnake looks you in the eye but does not bite you, it´s good luck. And so I choose to believe him!

10 comentarios:

Sarah dijo...

I love your interperitation of the theme :)

tubulidae dijo...

Curious story and funny drawing..... me piacciono :)

Natura dijo...

Pues qué suertuda y suertudos tus reflejos. Yo creo que me hubiera quedado tiesa. Lo que es el instinto de supervivencia :)

Linda la ilustración.

Saludos,

Anónimo dijo...

I just love it!!!

Anónimo dijo...

I just love it!!!

Anónimo dijo...

I just love it!!!

Laia Jufresa dijo...

Thank you Sarahh, tubulidae and natura

and thank YOU anonymus for such an enthusiastic tripple comment!

Tomás Serrano dijo...

¡Qué buena historia! Me ha gustado mucho. También los dibujos que he visto en tu blog. Un estilo muy peculiar.

Eva dijo...

Oh dear, I see a lot of snakes where I live, fortunately most of them are harmless or very chilled out. But still the villagers here kill every snake they see, even the harmless ones.
I'm actually more scared of my dog getting bitten, than getting bitten myself.

Eva dijo...

I never knew something like that existed! How cool, I want one now :)