Karma Chameleon 1/20/11
When I was a kid I had a chameleon. I have always loved lizards and snakes. Really! I think I was first fascinated by slithery creatures when I was quite young, spending summers in the Catskills with my family. I recall the excitement of hopping along protruding rocks, crossing icy brooks and streams as we searched for the pretty black-spotted newts that we’d capture as temporary pets. They were ours for the 10 or so minutes we’d possess them, examine them, then again set them free. They were almost the same delicious shade of orange as Creamsicles, which I also loved, and therefore non-threatening. Kids have weird associations!
I was always a lover of nature, especially animals, including amphibians, but not spiders. I don’t particularly like spiders. Except for daddy-long-legs. They are okay. And maybe tarantulas. As long as they are domesticated. I don’t like them in the wild. And I really hate scorpions.
So, I got to be very curious about lizards. I thought it was amazing that a creature could actually transform itself to blend in with its surroundings. I think I wanted to be a chameleon. I liked the idea of being indistinguishable from the earth’s myriad inanimate objects. I acquired a pet chameleon so I could study it, watch it morph, figure out how camouflage could work for me. I think on some level I wanted to disappear, to be invisible so I could study the world without being noticed. Not to blend in so much as to find truth about identity. That is what I do. I am curious about identity.
I have collected rings, pins, and even furniture in the image of snakes and lizards. I also have lots of little froggies around my house. I could get really analytical about all this, but modern wisdom tells us that analysis can lead you down roads to Nowhere, so why bother?
Recently I found an antique ring. It is a snake ring. When I spotted it, I realized I had spent years searching for this very ring. I tried it on. A perfect fit. A perfect metaphor. I think I have finally learned who I am.
What do you know about karma chameleons?