light – Lizard Planet

Do not stifle me!

Elephants trumpet, birds chirp, humans speak & lizards ___

….well, but, they’re really cute at it!!

Actually, some lizards can make vocal sounds. Other lizards exhale loudly, for example, if I elevate Murph from the ground to move him when he doesn’t approve, I hear an adorable, puff of air exhaled from irritation! This puff exclaims, “Stop this, Mom! I want to stay right here or head in that direction!”

Within nearly every form of life is the innate characteristic to express itself and/or communicate, and most also possess body language. We see it in horses, squirrels, humans, insects, reptiles, and so on. Reptile owners can become very keen to this body language. Likewise, when one spends enough time with any being, it is often easy to know the moods, emotions, and sometimes thoughts of whom they’re with.

I have heard humans yell at their dogs for barking. We may not know what the solution is every time for this if the barking seems excessive. However, yelling frightens/hurts animals’ feelings. I think many of us has seen proof of this. I think if a person never wants to hear barking, they shouldn’t try to live with a dog. If a person does not like the sound of cats meowing and running through the house at night, he or she should not have cats or find a solution to the furry chaos by drowning out those sounds with relaxing ones.

If a person is bothered by the opinions of others, these words should be avoided, calmly debated, or drowned out by the expressing of their own selves, focusing attention to their own natural tendency. It’s exposure to that with which some see as wrong that has given them desire to help others. It’s witnessing others’ views that help shape our own. It is my opinion, that it is unfair and unnatural that silence be forced upon anyone or anything. The roots of this control are from selfishness or fear. We, as humans have the freedom to listen and learn, change our opinions, be offended or toughen up from harsh words & get over it, or be stubborn & convinced we’re correct. We also have the freedom to leave others alone (where there is cruelty or neglect can be the exception), to let them live their lives & be themselves whether or not we approve of or dislike who or what they are, do or say.

The experience of diffent colors, voices, people, animals, cultures, food, etc. assist in the formation of who we become, they shape our preferences and as a by-product, our artistic abilities. Variety plays a role in the development of our goals & the personalities we share with others. So, it seems to me that preventing others from being themselves hinders development for the supressors alike. Freedom of speech should not be a vestige for any living being. If a creature cannot express itself, is that really living, or are they just another brick in the wall? If someone chooses to tell me I’m a weirdo for kissing my lizards, or for loving snakes & spiders, it’s fine because I have my own view on the matter! I may think they’re crappy people, but, they have opinions too & should be free to state them. They may, in the long run, change their minds.

If exposure to opinions I disagree with puts me in an unwanted mood I’ll focus my attention elsewhere. This shift can take me to my SWEET & SILENT LIL’ MURPH! Reptiles can be wonderful companions for peace-seekers. If you, or anyone you know needs a sweet friend in life that is low-maintenance, by some standards, and is calming to be around, please consider giving a good life to a reptile (there are reptiles in need of adoption in every city) or any one of a number of our other quiet animal friends. We don’t have to hear about what they want or need, we sort of listen with our eyes, you see?

Now, all this lends itself to another form of suppression… Being caged. If we are caged, we call it imprisonment. I’ve witnessed faces of people stuck in a nursing home and hospital living conditions ‘light up’ after time with fresh air and sunlight. I’ve seen animals’ eyes show a similar light when given a chance to go where they wish and be themselves. It’s important for some reptiles to have, atleast nearly, daylight hours worth of UVA and UVB light within their enclosures if they cannot obtain natural sunlight. It is also very important they get to enjoy their lives with companionship and freedom to explore the world they were born into.

One way that I do this with Lil’ Murph, if it’s not time to sit outside for spell, is block a doorway with a long piece of cardboard, tall enough to prevent his reaching the top, to let him roam the room wherein I am working. He doesn’t like it, but I place a bell on him that jingles when he walks (cute, cute). I know he is at rest where the jingle stops. Always, the bell is removed before he returns to his cage. I observe he feels fairly treated when he needs to warm up and be under his lights again. Yes, he’s in a bigger prison when this occurs, but he gets exercise and more liberty until we go outdoors where his harness keeps him safe as I follow him where he wishes to venture. It’s not a far distance. It goes something like this: Pitter patter… pause. Pitter, slide, slide, pat, climb …pause, long pause. Lick, smell, pitter patter. You get the idea! 🙂 Then, he’s cute when he looks up or down too.