Like a good neighbor

The whitetail deer lay low on the ground. From my perch in my local library, I could see the doe in the shrubs. I missed her at first. When I looked back though, I saw her head bobbing up and down, left to right, looking and listening.

She was resting, but still on guard, ready to bolt if needed. In many ways the spot made perfect sense. The trees and bushes held cover. She could keep close tabs on everything around her. There was a small stream nearby. And with it being winter, there were plenty of twigs, buds, bark, and evergreens available for food.

She had everything she needed.

Good fences make good neighbors

As I mentioned, the grove of trees on the library property would have been perfect if only there were better neighbors. A good neighbor is respectful, friendly, and helpful, balancing support while respecting privacy and boundaries. Right next door to the library, however, ran a four-lane highway with a steady stream of traffic.

The doe couldn’t have picked a worst neighbor if she tried. It would be like Mike and Carol Brady and their six kids from The Brady Bunch moving right next door to the Delta Tau Chi or the “Delta House” from Faber College in National Lampoon’s Animal House.

Bad things would be bound to happen.

Can’t you just see it? Suburbia right next door parties at every hour of the day. Couldn’t you just see housekeeper Alice complaining about those “boys” next door? Bluto breaking all kind of noise violations while Bobby and Cindy tried to study or Mr. Brady and Greg worked in the garage.

In one episode, Peter accidentally hit Marcia with a football, causing her nose to swell and bruise. With the Delta brothers next door, who knows how many more noses would be broken and food fights started! You move into a new house expecting great neighbors. Instead, you find out you moved next door to the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club and Charles Manson and the Manson Family.

It would not be good.

Finding peace in an unsettled world

A four lane highway and a small herd of deer does not usually end well. The doe I saw though seemed to be living life to its fullest. Despite it all, the doe barely even registered the honking horns and hustle and bustle. She didn’t even give the cars a second thought.

It reminded me of the Yin and Yang of life, the ancient Chinese concept that opposite, yet interconnected, forces (like light/dark, male/female, hot/cold) are interdependent, complementary, and essential for a dynamic, harmonious whole. It holds that life is not about conflict but about balance, where each force relies on the other to exist and create universal partners.

We need balance, right? We need a counterweight to keep us at peace.

I’m no philosopher but it made me think that maybe the grove of trees and the highway were the perfect spot. The doe and her family needed an off the grid spot to rest, a place no one would give them a second thought. The library and even the highway gave her that. It might not be the absolute best spot, but it certainly gave her what she needed.

She just needs to be careful to not sleep walk during the night!