{"id":8202,"date":"2013-05-04T15:30:36","date_gmt":"2013-05-04T15:30:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/?p=8202"},"modified":"2013-05-04T18:05:04","modified_gmt":"2013-05-04T18:05:04","slug":"heres-looking-at-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/?p=8202","title":{"rendered":"Here’s looking at you!"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Yesterday I found a visitor in my yard, a common box turtle was making his way to somewhere as he crossed my property. \u00a0I went in and got a camera and micro lens and went out to make some images of him. \u00a0When I laid down in the grass to see him eye to eye, he pulled back into his shell and closed up. \u00a0I waited for a while and finally I could see his shell just open up a little, then a little more. \u00a0It took some time, but finally he was comfortable enough to stick his head out enough to find out where I was. \u00a0I remained very still with my face hidden behind the camera.<\/p>\n

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It struck me how intensely he starred back at me. \u00a0I shifted very carefully until he was looking directly at me through two blades of grass. \u00a0I really enjoyed the game, I’m not sure whether he felt the same!? \u00a0He was never in any danger, because I meant him no harm. \u00a0Once again I doubt he knew that either!!! \u00a0The box turtle has a natural defense mechanism, if it senses danger it simply goes inside it’s shell and closes the door.<\/p>\n

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We are guilty of doing the same thing. \u00a0When we are in a situation where we are unsure of what might happen, we pull back into our emotional shell. \u00a0I had something funny happen some time ago that relates perfectly to this little example. \u00a0I was in New York City for a photo show, and each morning we would go down to the garage and stand in the cab line waiting our turn to get a cab. The first morning I arrived when there was no one else in line, and it was a few minute until a cab pulled up. \u00a0During the time standing there I talked to the Bellman. \u00a0We talked a little sports, and we got to know each other just a little. I found out a little about his family and where he was from, that kid of stuff. \u00a0Each morning when I arrived to get a cab, we talked some more. \u00a0On the last morning I was standing with some of the other Nikon folks and, once again I visited with the bellman, by now we were like old friends. \u00a0When we piled in a cab to go to the show, one of the folks, who lived in the city, turned to me and said, “How did you meet that bellman, where had you known him before coming to New York?” \u00a0I said that I just had been talking with him each morning and I guess we had become acquaintances. \u00a0My friend said, “you seem to be friendly to everyone, even people you don’t know, why is that? ” \u00a0I answered “Why not?”<\/p>\n

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I understand that things are different in the city, but they don’t have to be! \u00a0One of those evenings in New York a group of us walked up to Times Square to get a Five Guys burger. \u00a0When we went in and lined up to order there were probably five or six of us. \u00a0We were having a great time cutting up and talking and it took a little longer than it should have to get our orders placed. \u00a0I was picking up the meal charge so when I got to the cash register to give my order I told the young man taking the orders to please include the man standing behind me in line and add his order to my bill. \u00a0I turned to him and said I’m sorry we took so long, please have a burger on me! \u00a0He was shocked and couldn’t say thanks enough. My point is not that I’m a great guy, it’s that we can all make little statements everywhere we go about God’s love. \u00a0How should we expect others to want to know the God we love if we don’t demonstrate that a relationship with Him changes us!!!<\/p>\n

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So, the next time you are in an unfamiliar situation try coming out of, instead of pulling back into your shell!<\/p>\n

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Blessings,<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

the pilgrim<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

Post Script: \u00a0Sorry about missing yesterday blogging. \u00a0Sherelene had a rare Friday off from work and I spent most of the day doing things with her.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yesterday I found a visitor in my yard, a common box turtle was making his way to somewhere as he crossed my property. \u00a0I went in and got a camera and micro lens and went out to make some images of him. \u00a0When I laid down in the grass to see him eye to eye, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8202","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-chronicles"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8202","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8202"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8202\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8215,"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8202\/revisions\/8215"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8202"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8202"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8202"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}