I think I'm becoming a camel and I say that in all positive senses of the word. The picture that immediately comes to mind of a dusty, road weary, cranky one or two-humped creature just doesn't capture the hidden grandeur and is definitely not what I allude to when I say I may be morphing into one. The camel has all kinds of hidden talents and attributes and of course, those are the things I'm embracing.
To begin with, everyone knows that camels can travel long distances without water. Wikipedia estimates that they can go seven days in a single jaunt. That's truly impressive but is it as impressive as the people in the bikram yoga room who don't ever seem to need to take a sip during class or even bring a water bottle into the room? I used to look at them (Jay Fairbanks) and marvel. Amazingly, I've become one of them since I changed my eating habits to a plant based vegan diet. It's all the more astounding because pre-cancer and pre-plant eating, I was chugging kegs full of chilled H20 every class. I caught plenty of dirty looks from Stacey and Sherri from rattling ice during postures and splashing my neighbors but I didn't care. All I knew was that I was desperate and dry and dying of thirst for 90 minutes and had to survive. Now? My lonely 8 ounce bottle of room temperature water sits untouched and I'm strangely more focused and calm in class without the need to hydrate all the time.
Camels are also gentle, docile, stoic creatures who mind their own business as long as they're not harassed. Anyone who knows me well can vouch that I am usually even tempered but just like the sandy colored mammal, I have my limits. I don't make a practice of spitting, but I have thrown a plate or two. Likewise, the camel is solid footed and can balance 200 to 300 kilos of large packages as well as a human or two on long trips. I'm not saying that I'm a real dromedary, but if you saw me walking into school each morning with my gym bag, lunch bag and huge school purse slung over both shoulders, you might wonder. I've also noticed that with the new diet and the exclusion of sugar, caffeine and alcohol, I don't get dizzy or nauseous in the yoga room and can get into postures easier and hold them longer. I'd even dare to say my balance is improved though thankfully, my feet aren't as big as true camel feet (salad plates)! Camel (no pun intended) posture also isn't the nightmare it used to be.
I've been dating the same man for almost a year so I think that qualifies me for "tenacious" camel-like behavior, as well. They form very close bonds with their owners and are extremely loyal. Camels trudge across miles of arid terrain and stand all night loyally waiting for their owners to stagger out of desert watering holes. Each one is branded at birth on the shoulder so that they can wander for months in the wild and then be rounded up and returned to their owners whenever they're needed. I've known a few men who would have loved that sense of control in a relationship with me which is probably why I'm not with any of them now. The current boyfriend doesn't need to put his "mark" on me but I think he'd probably be very happy if I'd at least sit through one of his football games. I'm working on it.
Last, the camel has two pairs of eyelashes and though I try hard with mascara to beef up my paltry single dose of them, I'm a little jealous that camels are completely protected from sun and sand with so many. I wish I'd had a few more to ward off that pesky basal cell incident on my left eyelid a few years ago. In any case, their large brown eyes and long, curly lashes make them look vulnerable but in reality, camels are sturdy and steely. I've also been misjudged for looking "soft" but being anything but that when someone I love (including myself) is in danger. There are worse things to compare myself to but this animal seems eerily appropriate these days. I'm in touch with my inner and outer domestic animal and liking it so if you see strange, extra large round flip flops outside the yoga room door, don't throw them in the lost and found box. They're mine!
