Pasture Psychology 101

Husband turned me, his wife, out to pasture the other day, to spend the rest of her days in peaceful grazing..........NOT REALLY!! My task was to bring the heifers home from their late afternoon alfalfa-munching session. The sun was very bright in the western sky, hence the lighting in these scenes:

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To set the stage: A group of bovine heifers would be comparable to a bunch of human teenage girls. Oh, for pity's sake, why is one of them suddenly galloping, as if with great purpose........towards ME? What could she possibly want?

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She doesn't look very happy, actually. Oh, brother.......wouldn't you know it. Whenever I decide to come out of my shell and socialize, it seems there's one critter in the crowd who has to run right over and start divulging his or her problems to me. At times, I feel like Rick in Casablanca.......everyone came to him, desperate for some sort of help. The heifers and others know they can safely confide in me; I'm empathetic and will listen with nonjudgmental ears and an open heart and mind, and do what I can to help them. Isn't that just the sweetest thing? (Gag) It can be problematic for me at times, though.

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Upon reaching me, the troubled heifer turned away so I wouldn't see the tears in her eyes. Oh, the poor dear!

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"They aren't being nice to me.......", she whispered, stifling a sob. "Them......over there......the other girls in the heifer herd.......they are snotty and won't include me in their chatting cliques as we munch alfalfa."

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Racking my brain for comforting words to say, I replied, "Look me in the eye.....um, oh, I see you don't have an orange name-tag earring. Perhaps that's the reason the others aren't friendly to you; they don't know what your name is, thus they don't know who you are. There, there.......cheer up........its not really your fault, you see. When I get back to the barn, I'll try to find your name in the record book and make a new name-tag earring for you to wear. Perhaps that will remedy the situation: The other girls will know who you are and you'll be wearing the same earring style as they are. Sometimes that's all it takes to be included in the popular clique."

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Well, will you look at this.......some heifers are just so brazen, coming right over and openly attempting to eavesdrop on a private conversation. I commented to NoName, "Are you sure you even want to be included in a group like this? Do you really wish to have friends who are that nosy??"

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NoName could see my point, I guess. She wandered off to graze by herself in the evening light. She'll be OK. Sometimes being alone for awhile is therapeutic. It works for me. I predict NoName's mood will lighten up very soon........in fact, it appears she may have brightened already!!

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