As I walked back to the parking garage after teaching classes yesterday, I felt the weight of a long day upon me. I could hardly put step after step.
But then, I hear the giggles and cooing of two college girls who had their phones tilted down towards a little squirrel who sat perched on a column. I stopped and watched. Then I added my own giggles into the mix.
The squirrel just sat by us and methodically and greedily munched an apple. We could pet him if we wanted to. I didn’t feel so tired and gloomy anymore. Instead, I felt awash with wonder. The squirrel event felt so whimsical–a key feature of living with flair!
I briefly considered that I was in the presence of the celebrity squirrel, Sneezy. You haven’t heard of Sneezy? You must know Sneezy! Sneezy lets Mary Krupa make little outfits for him and dress him. You can see all the photos on his Facebook page if you don’t believe me. It’s here: https://www.facebook.com/SneezySquirrel/. I love the photo of Sneezy with a top hat and cane. Here’s a peek below. Mary takes these photos and doesn’t edit them at all. The squirrel is really wearing the hat and holding the cane!
You can read more about Mary in a news report from Penn State here. The fact that I know about a celebrity squirrel–and that I perhaps encountered him (but upon closer inspection, I do think they are different squirrels!)–counts as living with flair today.