Sort of sitting here, at home, blindly surfing the internet when I came across a wonderful painting of dolphins (not, the picture I've attached below), but what really struck me was what the artist wrote:

"Dolphins remind us of our highest, truest nature - that of freedom, non-attachment, joy, fun, play, communion, curiosity, dance and movement, compassion, humor and so forth. They are also notoriously openly sexual and have sex for the joy of it and not merely for procreation!"

Like a lot of people, I am fascinated by dolphins. Been lucky enough to have seen wild pods in the Atlantic when I sailed over to Boston from Southampton. It was thrilling to watch them play in the bow wave and you definately felt they were observing us, just as we them. There was curiousity in their eyes (& yes, I saw them close enough to look into their eyes)- they came to see what this big lump was in the sea and having had their fun, swam off. Without a doubt, seeing a dolphin uplifts the spirit. Well, it does me and I feel like a child in their presence - giggly, smiling, joyous and excitable!

I'm not naive enough to think they are soft & cuddly. I, too have seen those nature programmes that have revealed dolphins like other wildlife, can kill, injure and "bully" their own kind. But, as quoted above, they do seem to remind us of joy, fun, play, curiosity, etc. Whenever I imagine the word freedom and what it means, there are 2 images that come to mind - dolphins and wild horses.

At the moment, I'm really drawn to images of dolphins and they really resonate with me. I guess the reason for that is I feel constraint in all aspects of my life and have an overwhelming desire to be free. I know freedom is very much a state of mind and that's what I'm working on. Freedom isn't running away, which is far too easy and something I am prone to do. It isn't about being wealthy, it's about having sufficient. And, it's definately about non-attachment. When your happiness or emotional well being is in some ways dependant on someone or something, then your life is ruled by fear - fear of losing that someone or something. You can't be free in those circumstances. Being free isn't being alone, aloof and distant either. It's about loving yourself and others but not expecting anything in return.

I'm in danger of getting a bit "heavy" so I will end by saying, I'm glad my favourite mammal enjoys sex too!!!