Video by Maria Wulf

Maria and I revel in new experience, especially when it comes to animals and our own evolution as human beings.

We have a snail now, his name is Socrates. He lives in a new fish tank I bought Maria for her birthday, a 10-gallon tank with two goldfish,  a tiny bumblebee snail and Socrates. The tank is located in our living room, on a table that sits between the two chairs we sit in when we eat.

We have almost of our meals in the living room chairs, and none in our beautiful living room with a 10-foot table. Go figure. When we eat, we can’t help but see Socrates, an industrious, slow moving but steadfast creature. Maria is beginning to sketch  him, a sure sign he will soon grace one of her potholders (potholders and wool now up on Etsy. Her potholders sold out yesterday, more are on the way) soon.

Animals have always taught humans, we have needed them and learned from them since the beginning of recorded history, especially from the moment dogs and humans realized they needed one another.

Watching Socrates, I project all kinds of things onto him. : he is wise, accepting, industrious, peaceable. He climbs up and down the sides of our 10 gallon tank, sucking algae off the sides and cleaning up the gravel.

He reminds me that people who say little and move thoughtfully and deliberately seem wise to me. He does his job, causes no harm and remains focused. Watching him can be meditative. Try it.