Otter Tracks

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On one sleepy morning walk, we found these little prints skirting the beach grass at dawn. What a treat to discover five-toed river otter tracks passing not so far from where we’d slept! It’s a reminder to me that special stuff happens off the beaten path. Away from the bustle of brimming schedules, rare thoughts, feelings, and even beings sometimes surface. They catch us unaware. I stood staring, wide-eyed, at these tracks in the sand for minutes. I’d never seen such a thing before. My heart raced, as if they belonged to a unicorn.

Isn’t it fascinating how tracks are more than just footprints? They show a way of walking, a way of being in the world. And they go somewhere. I never did meet the furry feet that bestowed these prints upon the sand, but I am still shaking my head in wonder. How does the long-bodied otter leave such a pattern behind him?

Tracks are a marvel to me. Here are mine, sailing to you across the ether in a post to read. My side-winding path shows up in power-points and heartfelt discussion, deep listening, and coaching with care. Our footprints, gait, and direction are shaped by the paths of others. I walk softly reading Robin Wall Kimmerer. I skip to the poetry of Mary Oliver. The tracks I lay down in this world have been shaped by the evolution of our species, and I’m actively involved, following first one then another into the future.

What tracks are you laying down today? Who do you follow, and who is following you?