All Sentient Beings

Two Grandmother friends and I were enjoying a crisp, almost Fall, day at the Lagoon today while feeling joy feels as their two small dark gray wiry haired dogs were making new friends with each other. We were on a mission. Grandmother L.B. was to take pictures of me for publication. Where else but out in Nature to capture my true Spirit!



A man called out from around the bend of the Lagoon pathway. At first we did not respond, then each of us became alert to his call, "Hey Ladies, Hey Ladies".

We stopped our conversation, turned our heads and looked towards a gentleman dressed in loose fitting kaki pants and a greenish/gray tee shirt holding up a large silver colored fish. The man was grinning from ear to ear. The two other Grandmothers and I looked at each other and telepathically agreed to walk over to him to see his 'prize'.

Like a 10 year old boy, the man was elated that we came to see his glorious catch of the morning. He proudly displayed the silver fish, that Grandmother S.J. described immediately as a "catfish, because of his long whiskers" and a smile on her face, happy that she was able to identify the fish. Consequently, she was reminded of a time when she was a little girl in Florida and "they fried the catfish and it tasted really good." The man had a strong hold with his right hand on the fish at the neck and tail end forcing the fish's mouth to be open. The fish's gills were flapping open and shut very quickly.

Grandmothers S.J. and L.B. engaged the gentleman with ravenous reviews of his morning success and even that he 'had the right tools to cut the hook out of the fishes mouth" as the man cut the wire off the hook and grabbed the sharp hook with a tool and slide it out of the fish's opened mouth.  "Are you going to eat him?" asked Grandmother S.J. The man answered, "Naw, not today, its a cat fish, they are stocking the Lagoon with trout tomorrow." I cringed as the hook slid through the jaw line of the silver fish's mouth; simultaneously thinking about the enormous pain I incurred as I received a shot in the roof of my mouth just before getting a tooth extracted.

I stood by, quietly observing. And; grinding my teeth. Empathizing with Fish and his fear and the lack of air. Fish was so desperately quietly screaming out to all of us. After about 3 to 4 minutes Grandmother L.B. gently stated, "It looks like he is needing some air." I was ready to scream! The man looked at the fish. He looked at us. He stood there. The man said, "How big do you think he is, 18 inches?" I couldn't control myself any longer, "Let's throw a hook into your mouth, pull it out, and keep you from breathing." They all looked over at me. The energy changed from joy feels to a mix of anger, sadness, and confusion from all. I back peddled and said, "Are you going to eat him? " The man looked at the fish, mumbled something, and then with his right arm pulled all the way back and, with the fish dangling by his neck from the grip of the man's right hand, the man took a long shot and threw the fish into the water.

Everyone... except me,  seemed relieved the fish was back in the water and swimming away. Each chimed in"Where is he? Aww, look at him swimming back in the water." I was stunned by the image of the fish flying through the air and plopping back in the water. I said, "Does a fish fly? Don't you think that was traumatic for him?" The other two Grandmothers now stopped to think. Are they sentient beings? Do they feel anything? Does this whole act really hurt the fish?"

I take a breath now. I felt anger then, and I feel anger and sadness now. They are not mean people, non of them. They, like many humans on the Earth now, are a product of the insensitivity to all life on Earth. At different levels, however,  even a simple thing as "fishing" has lost the continuity of the wisdom of the Elders, passed down from generation to generation.

With respect and dignity we can wait for our food to present its self. With respect and dignity we can return another part of life back to where it belongs, in a gentle way.

With respect and dignity we can become one with Mother Earth and all living, animate and inanimate beings.