COMINGOUT!

Today,ifitfeelsgoodpeopleDoIT!It'sthepersonalclimatechangeofourworldthat'spressinginonus.Folkswilldo
whateverfeelsrightintheirownsight,andtoheckwhatothersthinkordo.Themottois'everythinggoes'LOL

Checkoutmyturtlestory"ComingOut".STORYOFTHEMONTHMAY2012AChaptertalefromFloydTheDog
StoryBookCommemorativehttps://www.createspace.com/4314858

ComingOutbyDonFord

Todaywillbetheday.Ihavehiddenmyselfawayfromtheworldmuchtoolong.Othershavecomeoutoftheirshells.I
willtoo.MaybethenIcanfindafriendjustlikemyself.Everybodyneedsacompanion.Iwanttobeopenandfree.Its
importanttomethatIshouldbeabletoexpressfullywhoIam.Thereisarealmehiddeninside.Ihavedecidedtobe
whoIreallyaminsteadofhidingbehindcloseddoors.Allofmylifehasfinallyledmetothis.Manywillnotlikewhatthey
see.ItsnotaboutthemanymoreitstimethatIpleasedmyself.Ihavetostoplivingforeveryoneelse.Iusedtobetoo
worriedwhatotherswouldsayandthinkifIdidcomeout.

"InevertellothershowtoliveandIamhopingtheywilltreatmethesameway.Mymindismadeup.Themomentof
truthhasarrived.IamgoingtodowhatIknowandFEELwillberightforme.Theturtlethenwentbehindthebushes.
Heemergedwithouthisshell,havingneversheditbefore.Wouldheevenlikewhathesawofhimself?Theturtle
rushedovertothepondtoseehisreflection.Imokay,hesaid.ImmorethanokayImfeelingspecial.

AspringofPRIDEwelledupinsidehim.Hewasabitsurprisedbyhisnewoutofthebodyexperience,sotospeak.For
onething,theheavyburdenoftheoldshellhadbeenlifted.Henoticedafterleavingtheoldhomethathenearly
floatedalongnow.Hewasalsoabletoswimmoreswiftly.

Asourturtlewalkedon,hestumbledonarockinhispathandfelloverontohisback.Therewerenowordstodescribe
thepain.

T hen,whenhedecidedtogobackintothewaterofthepond,hewasimmediatelystalkedbybothadeadlywatersnake
andalargebassthatwaslookingratherhungry.Thesnakewasgainingonhim.Whathadhedone?Howcouldhehave
beensofoolish?Hehadthoughtlifewouldgeteasierwithouthisshell,butithadbecomemorecomplicated.Soonthe
largesnakehadalmostcaughtupwithhim.

Outoftheblueabirdcamesoaring,divingrighttowardhim.Igiveup,theturtlemutteredtohimselfasthebird
claimedhisprize.Thesnakewastakenupoverhisheadhighintothesky.Theturtlesighed,Iwassurethatbirdwas
afterme.Lookingoutoverthegreatmountainsbeforehim,ourturtlesawwherethiseaglelanded.So,thatswhere
helives.Nicetoknowsuchhelpiscloseby.

However,thebasswasnowwaitingforhisturn.Itwastimeforourturtletosayhisprayers.Justasthegreatfish
openedhismouthwidetogethisfirsttasteofturtlesoup,sotospeak,oureaglereturnedtofinishhisrescuejob.

Theturtledecidedthathehadhadenoughwaterfunforthatdayandheadedtowardstheshoretocollecthisthoughts.
Afterbarelyescapinghiswaterfoes,hefoundthathehadotherdifficultiestoovercome,suchasthebriarpatches
surroundingthepond.Theshellhehadwornallofhislifewasnowgone.Hehadtosseditoffwithoutanyregardforthe
consequences.Hisclosefriend,andearliercovering,wasnolongerthere.

Comingfinallytohissenses,heheadedbacktotheplacewherehehaddiscardedit.Hisoldlifeandcircumstances
werebeginningtoappealtohimoncemoreinanewway.Hehadoncethoughtofhisshellasaprison,butnowhewas
seeingitinanewlightasahavenofrestfromthestormsandbriarsoflife.

Whilelivinginhisshell,nothingoftheoutsideworldcouldhurthim.Hehadhadlittletofear.Snakesandfishhadnever
beenabotherbefore.Hisformerlifetookonanewandsatisfyingappeal.Nowheknewhewantedtoreunitewithhis
oldfriendandreturntohishomebythepond.Thebushwasjustupahead.Theturtlewentinandstartedthrashing
around,butcameupemptyhanded.

Lookingforthis?

Whosaidthat?Thevoicesoundedasifitwasabovehim.
Lookup,itsme,Oliver.There,onabranchofatree,wasanoldowl.

Whydidyoutakemyshellupthere,Oliver?

IfeltIhadtorescueitfromacoupleoffieldmicewhohadvisionsofusingitfortheirnewhome.

Butwhywouldyouevencare?

Youarenotthefirsttocomehereandthinktheycouldeasilydiscardtheirshell,hopingtostartanewlife.Mostdo
returnanddecidetotakeupresidenceoncemoreasbefore,whenthelifetheythoughtwouldbesograndoutthere
somewhere,provedtobefearful,painful,andnotliketheyhadhoped.

Soyoureadmymind?

Itwasmorelikeseeingclearlythehandwritingscrolledacrossthewall.Mostreallydocometotheirsensesintheend.

Beingouttherewasquitepainful.

Iknewitwouldbe,butmosthavetoexperienceitforthemselves.Thevoiceofreasonisnotwellattendedtobyyouth
thesedays.

WhatdoIoweyouforsuchgoodadvice?Theturtlestaredupintotheeyesofthisveryintelligentbird.

Letsjustsaythatthesatisfiedlookonyourfaceispaymentenough!

Theshellthenhitthegroundclosetotheturtle.Thetwosaidtheirgoodbyesandpartedcompany.Theprotectionthat
hadbeenhisinhisyouthwouldbecomehiscoveringoncemoreandremainwithhimintohisoldage.Theturtlenow
wasnolongerafraid."Iratherlikethe'old'meandthefriendsIdidnotrealizeIhad."ooo0ooo
TextandillustrationsCopyright:DonFord2011.AllrightsReserved.

Abouttheauthor

Donisaninternationallyknownprofessionalauthor,artistandstorytellerwholivesinasmalltownnearSyracuse,New
YorkState,U.S.A.FloydtheDoghasdonated59.02(equivalentto48.39or$78.02)OnbehalfofDonFordto:The
ElephantSanctuary,Tennessee,U.S.A.

AbouttheCharity

PicturetakenatSyracuseZoo
https://www.facebook.com/ElephantSanctuaryTNTheElephantSanctuaryinTennessee,foundedin1995,isthe
nation'slargestnaturalhabitatrefugedevelopedspecificallyforendangeredAfricanandAsianelephants.The
Sanctuaryoperateson2,700acresinHohenwald,Tennessee85milessouthwestofNashville.Weexisttoprovidea
havenforold,sickorneedyelephantsinasettingofgreenpastures,denseforests,springfedpondsandheatedbarns
forcoldwinternights,andtoprovideeducationaboutthecrisisfacingthesesocial,sensitive,passionatelyintense,
playful,complex,exceedinglyintelligentandendangeredcreatures.

Note:Pleaseclick'Follow'ifyouwouldliketohearmorefromDoninthefuture.Feelfreetoalsoconnectviaonehis
LinkedInGroups"BeforetheInkDries"or"ColorsinMyWorld","BurningTruth",orviaTwitterandFacebook.
P.S.Manyotherbooksbythissameauthor:http://tinyurl.com/l4al233

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