Hero

Just so you know in advance, this is not one of those mushy, gushy blog posts about someone who inspires me and is one of my heroes (though those aren't all bad either).  


But this post is about a hero and that hero is me.  "And who," you ask "was the recipient of your hero-ness?"


A squirrel.


Yes folks you heard right.  Yesterday I saved the life of a squirrel.  I believe I now deserve an "Animal Life Saver of the Year" Award, or at least a lifetime membership to PETA for my great feat today.  


I know, I know, you're all dying to hear how I saved the life of a squirrel so let me oblige.  Fortuitously, yesterday morning I left half of my lunch in the car on accident when I got in to work.  Around noon I decided to brave the frigid west Michigan winds so I could enjoy my entire lunch.  As I was approaching my car in the parking lot a co-worker yells, "Hey Ashley, look at the squirrel!"  In my mind I was thinking, "Oooooo a squirrel, so what, I see them all the time, I'm even afeared that one has taken residence in my attic."  


Then I saw him.  The poor little guy!  


He had a Yoplait Yogurt cup stuck over his head, ya know, the kind that get smaller towards the opening.  He was running around, falling off the sidewalk, slipping on the ice, and his little paws were furiously trying to pull the cup off, but to no avail.  My heart broke for the little fellow, I mean how would you like to have your head stuck in a yogurt cup?  I mean come on, that cannot be fun!


So my co-worker says, "What in the world are we going to do?  I called me husband and he said we should catch it and take the cup off."  In my mind I said, "What, are you crazy?  He could be rabid, and he's crazy fast!"  But out loud I only said, "Boy, I'm not sure we could catch him!"  Buuuuut I couldn't just leave him there to wander around the parking lot with a yogurt cup on his head so I decided to give it a try.


Since he was blinded by the cup I was actually able to get really close to him before he "sensed" me and skittered off in the other direction.  A couple of times I actually got close enough to grab the cup but I chickened out at the last second, afraid he would attack me when I did out of fear.  


However I determined to be brave and snuck up behind the little guy.  I got about six inches away when he sensed me and turned around and "stared", ok the cup "stared", right at me.  At the instant I grabbed the end of the cup and pulled and "pop" off came the cup and the squirrel was gloriously free.  He took off at what can only be described as lightning speed, sliding around the skating rink that is our parking lot.  That part was actually rather comical.  So my co-worker grabbed the cup and we headed back inside to enjoy our lunches.


Then when I left work later that day, I went outside to my car, and there sitting on my hood was an acorn of thanks.  Ok that last part isn't true, but it would be pretty funny if it was!


So there's the whole long tale about how I became a hero to a squirrel yesterday.


Hopefully you sometime you can have the opportunity to be a hero to some unsuspecting rodent :-)