Life as a Turtle

I have always liked turtles.

When I was a young boy, about ten years old, my family and I were camping at a lake near Canton, Illinois. Not having a real fishing pole, I brought along a toy plastic fishing pole so I could play at the lakeside. Attached to the end of the string that was the pretend fishing line, I placed a homemade wire hook and a big fat earthworm.

I thought to myself that I wouldn't catch much, but it would be fun.

I would have a good time pretending to be a fisherman.

The fishing string was only a few feet long, so when I cast out, the end would go into the water just at the edge.

So here I go down to the edge of the lake.

I pull back the pole, and cast!!

Within seconds....I had a BITE!!!

What was this????

When I pull out the line from the water, not attached to the hook, but to the end of the long earthworm was a tiny water turtle. And he was not letting go of that worm!!!!

Well, I let him eat the worm, and my folks let me take him home, and for the next several years, he was my best friend.

I took him nearly everywhere I went. One of my favorite memories was swimming with him. We had a large cement tank that was for watering cattle. We filled it with rainwater that we collected and some well water, and during the summer used it as a swimming pool.

We'd put "Turtle" (that was his name) into the tank with us, and he would swim like crazy, and we would dive under the water, open our eyes and swim along side of him. It was the coolest thing.

I've always wondered why I was born as a person, and not as a turtle. Because when we swam together, we were the same. I could totally relate to him.

When he got scared, he hid inside his shell. Just like me.

When he was curious, he would poke his head out, and look around.

Just like me.

When he was in the water, he was at home and never wanted to leave. Just like me. He could live on dry land (in the real world, so to speak but he preferred the water world where he was free - just like me).

His shell protected him, because he was very vulnerable.

I secretly wished to be a turtle as a boy. I hoped to wake up one morning with a shell, and be able to swim free forever.