Reader, I was going to write about re-reading a favorite book today, and I might still write that post on a different day, but now, after some high drama and lots of being on the phone, I’m gonna write again about weasels.
The thing about weasels is that not everyone sees them. Remember the story about the snake? Some people pick up the snake. And some people trust the weasel. Sometimes the weasel does the weasel thing, then apologizes, and extravagantly makes up for, and has lots of flattery and lip service, and people think, ah. That weasel has turned over a new leaf, and that weasel has changed. And the weasel, being a weasel, shows a good face for a while.
But behind the scenes, Reader, there’s a good chance that weasel is just weaseling someone else for a moment. The people who think the weasel changed, they’re just not the current target. But eventually, it comes back around, and the people see the weasel doing his weaseling, and are shocked, and appalled, and outraged, that the weasel has, yet again, weaseled.
And then, Reader, those people call me. And they say, did you know the weasel was a weasel? And I say, yes, People. Yes, I did indeed know that, for my memory is long and I learned the lesson of weasel quite some time again, and I decided to try to always pay attention. And the reason I never stopped paying attention was because I hoped the weasel would change. And also because I never wanted to be tricked by the weasel again.
And the thing that gets me, Reader, is how people expect me to do something. I can’t change the weasel. I can only do my best to mitigate the weasel’s damage. And it’s hard for me to get all worked up about the weasel because I already knew he was a weasel, and I already knew that weasels are gonna weasel.
But I’m trying to be patient. Because getting bit by a weasel, or a snake, really does suck. And it’s a hard lesson.
But maybe the real takeaway here is that it’s a hard lesson because really, we’re all rooting for each other. We’re rooting for people to be good people, we’re all hoping that weasels aren’t actually weasels, that they’re in a tough spot, or having a bad day, and we’re always hoping they change. It says a lot about us that it’s a hard lesson for us to learn. And maybe that’s the thing to look at today. Weasels are gonna weasel.
But sparrows? With all our hopefulness and perching in the soul and singing the tune without words? (Emily Dickinson, Reader, remember the Emily Dickinson poem.)
Yeah. We’re gonna sparrow.
But hopefully (see what I did there, Reader?), without getting bit.
Weasels are indeed gonna weasel.
It's good to be a sparrow.