I am slightly embarrassed to admit that I went to see Magic Mike (the movie) last  night.  It is about male strippers.  I have to confess that I would do almost anything to see Channing Tatum dance.  He is a force. We decided to think of it as Bimala’s bachelorette party (also embarrassing).  The Gilson Theater in Winsted serves food which made it a party.  Then I stayed up way too late watching the Olympics.

This morning as I was trying to surface from sleep, I dreamt/thought that my cat, Ivy, was peeing in the bed.  As it turned out, it was not a dream.  It is the third time this week, but we had suspected Precious, not Ivy.  If I had heeded the warning sign – that half-asleep, dozing thought, -I could probably have avoided washing my bedding for the third time this week.

Then I went out to pull some weeds.  A white-faced hornet was buzzing around me near the water spigot, but I ignored him and he stung me in the ankle.  I am pretty allergic and had a major histamine reaction — itchy, swelling, a big whole body response.  No epi pen, but close.  Ankle now ballooned out like a bad sprain.  If I had paid attention to his buzzing around me, I could probably have avoided that event too.

So this morning has me thinking about warning signs, and how good I seem to be at ignoring them, and why.  Stress will do it, I think.  It shuts down my awareness of what is flickering round the periphery because I am so hyperfocused on/peoccupied with a task.

I am more attuned to the warning signs with horses.  The ears prick, head goes up, and there is a little surge of muscle under me if I am riding, or beside me if I am on the ground.  I know better than to just plow ahead with a horse. Stop, pay attention, act accordingly.

Lessons learned, I hope.