Skip to main content

Cheetah Spirit

 



Cheetah Spirit


Seeing cheetahs anytime in the bush is a rare experience. But, seeing eight of them at once is a moment so magical I thought I had entered a world where dreams come true. 


Recently, someone in our game vehicle shouted quietly, “Look, a cheetah!” And another shouted, “Look, look, they are all around us.”  And I looked to my left, and one was at eye level with me hanging out on a fallen tree trunk. We quietly watch the mother and seven almost grown cubs amble slowly into the bush and out of sight for a couple of minutes. Speechless and in awe, we trundled on, filled with emotion at the beautiful sight of these endangered cats. 


Every animal has its own beauty, but the cheetah, with tears streaming from its cinnamon-colored eyes, is the most stunning creature in the African landscape. Like most cats, domestic or wild, they are elegant, stealth, and independent. They don’t hang around in a herd, like antelopes and elephants, nor do they seek the company of other animals. Sure, the males like to hang around each other, forming a coalition, but not the females who mate and then move on to birth and raise their cubs alone.


Speed and cleverness are their superpowers. Lack of strength is their weakness. When they make their kills, they must be watchful because they can’t fight off the big cats, hungry hyenas, or wild dogs, which will sweep in with ferocity and steal the meal. If the cheetahs don’t run, they die!


As I prepare for my departure from South Africa and full-time teaching, I need to have the spirit of these gorgeous felines who are patient, adaptable, focused, and can shift course in mid-air when pursuing their next meal.


These beauties are patient, adaptable, and incredibly focused when seeking opportunities. 

#cheetahlove #cheetahs #writing #personalessay #lastmonthsinsouthafrica #retirement #adaptability #opportunity #perserverence #ilovethebush


  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ellie Love

  This photo is Africa! A breeding herd of female Elephants hanging around a river, bathing, frolicking, and relaxing, is an iconic scene that I could watch for hours. Never an animal to linger anywhere for too long, Ndlovus (Zulu) stealthily roam the veld, eating hundreds of pounds of food a day. Always on the move, an elephant can travel up to fifty miles a day, occasionally stopping by water to drink and cool themselves or perhaps to wait until a female gives birth. Sometimes the entire family unit circles around a female delivering a new calf to the herd, protecting her from all sides.  The matriarch, sometimes the oldest female, rules in an elephant community. She must have wisdom, have a proven record of leadership, protect her herd from all dangers, teach the young about proper elephant behavior, and have the experience and confidence to guide her herd through the dangerous life in the bush.  These powerful descendants of the wooly mammoth are also quite dangerous....
Post a Comment
Read more

The Tragedy of Human Despair

  The Tragedy of Human Despair in South Africa I came across this scene while running errands. The person, a man, I think, sat on the dirty, tar road at a robot, straddling the center and right turn lanes on a busy street. The light had turned red, so I was forced to face the human tragedy of poverty, hunger, and hopelessness.  It’s not like I hadn’t seen people on the streets begging for food, clothes, jobs, or anything to sustain them for another day, but this was different.  He rested in a fetal position, head bowed and covered by a white t-shirt juxtaposed against black clothing. And what about the books? I couldn’t see their titles; maybe one was a bible.   He was as still as a statue and as quiet as the dark before the dawn. He did not flinch or moan, nor did he have pleading hands reaching out for a tidbit of salvation.  The human was simply there, a tableau worthy of a production by the Ontological-Hysterical theatre company in New York City’s lower...
Post a Comment
Read more

Esther Mahlangu - Ndebele Artist

  This beautiful woman is 92-years-old and lives in a small Ndebele village in Mpumalanga. Esther Mahlangu is an Outsider Artist, self-taught from the age of nine, who has achieved great success with her bold, colorful art reflecting traditional Ndebele culture. It’s not clear, but it seems she never went to school and can only write her name on her artwork. However, she has two honorary doctorates for her contributions to the art world. Her success was serendipitous. In 1986, researchers from France were roaming around looking for traditional art forms. One road led them to the artist’s village, where they became enthralled by Mahlangu’s uniquely painted houses. Right time, right road!  They invited her to create murals for an international contemporary art exhibition at the Magiciens de la Terre in France. Her obscurity was soon over and she quickly became a phenomenon in the Pan-African art world. Her resume is awe-inspiring. Look her up, here’s one link - https://www.sahi...
Post a Comment
Read more