During my Navy career, I experienced a huge mindset shift. Believe it or not, this shift prepared me for the reality of animal communication that was in my future.
Prior to joining, I had limited life experiences. There was one hometown, Buffalo, New York, where I lived on the same street for most of my life. And I got my bachelor’s degree from the University at Buffalo.
In the winter, we usually had two to three feet of snow in the yard. As a kid, this was excellent for snow forts, tunnels and snowball fights. Our biggest mountains were the Allegany Mountains. (Do I hear the Rocky Mountains snickering?) We drove over the Peace Bridge to Canada for excellent Chinese food. Niagara Falls was a local attraction.
And I was steeped in the stories of my family and the local culture. I held unspoken beliefs of how life worked; what was true; and how we should live our lives. As I look back, I didn’t experience many different cultures, places, or belief systems. But I loved the stories from my Grammie and my Papa and thought that was how the world worked.
But when I joined the Navy, I immediately met people from all over the country. I interacted with people with different upbringings, religious backgrounds, and their own version of “The American Experience.”
For instance, Petty Officer Deye recounting how her brother had to flee their hometown in the U.S. Why? Because someone accused him of leering at a white mannequin in a storefront. As you can guess, Petty Officer’s family was Black.
This was when I realized my beliefs about life were based on limited experiences.
As a result, I became open to hearing other life experiences. Boy, did I get the chance! My duty stations included the U.S and beyond – Newport, Rhode Island; Memphis, Tennessee; Ponce, Puerto Rico; Yokosuka, Japan; Oahu, Hawaii; Schenectady, New York; and Northern California.
From Puerto Rico and Japan, I visited more countries in the Caribbean and Asia.
Here are a few beliefs that shifted when I lived in Japan:
Old mindset: People in Japan don’t wear shoes in the house? How crazy!
New mindset: Wow, the floors are a lot cleaner!!…if you don’t have a couple of dogs!
Old mindset: Embarrassingly, I thought Japanese people had no religious beliefs because they didn’t go to church on Sunday.
New mindset: The Japanese have a different religious tradition than I grew up with that works for them.
P.S. This picture is taken of a gift from my friend, Debbie. It’s the Great Buddha of Kamakura (Kamakura Daibutsu). Can you see the black cat on the steps? © 2016 The Cat’s Meow
As I experienced and learned more, my mind opened. I was willing to entertain different ways of seeing and experiencing the world.
So when my dogs started communicating with me, I embraced this strange, new world. I accepted that I had stepped into a new reality. Again.
Although I did have to ask my friend Mary, “What the heck is going on?” She enlightened me, “It’s called animal communication.” I dived into training and practice and loved it.
As a result, I entered a worldview where animals have souls, they are intelligent, and they feel emotions. They survive the death of their physical bodies. And that our love connection with animals in our family is eternal. Because love never dies.
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What life experiences helped shift and expand your mindset about other species? Please share your story!
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