Meet Claude.  

He resides at one of my favorite places, the Steinhart Aquarium in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco.  He and I had quite an encounter last June when I visited the newly renovated aquarium.  His new enclosure can be viewed from a balcony-type area (where I took this picture) and from a water-level area that gives everyone an up-close, eye-to-eye view.  

This was my first time visiting since the extensive renovation of my beloved aquarium and I was pleased to see a few things - like the seahorse railing - intact.  I can't begin to guess how many hours I spent as a little girl, with my face pressed up against those metal seahorses, looking down upon my buddies, the alligators.   You see, I lived across the street from the park and this was back in the day when your parents would tell you "go outside and play" and that meant "don't come back until it's dark" - and we did.  I had all of Golden Gate Park to explore and call my own - just me and my bike.  Besides, my family knew where to find me - eventually, I'd return to watch my friends, the alligators.

So, here I did return, after too many years and one huge renovation.  I preferred the balcony-view, so I stayed upstairs, reminiscing with my hubby, Larry.  The comments of the crowd downstairs floated up, as we enjoyed our view all by ourselves.  "Is he real?" "He hasn't moved in ages!" "Will he EVER move?"

I snapped the photo (above), put my camera/phone back in my purse and said to Claude "well, you COULD get in the water and surprise the hell out of them..." Larry looked at me and then at Claude - who, at that exact same moment, also looked up at me.  Gracefully as can be, Claude slid into the water, swam over to the glass and snapped his big ol' jaws, creating a splash in the water and a huge roar from the crowd below!  

Larry and I just laughed.  He said "So now I'm married to the Alligator Whisperer?".  We decided to go downstairs and get a glimpse of our new friend, Claude, from the water level.  As we made our way through the crowd and up to the glass, we heard a woman say "I wish there was an Alligator Whisperer around so we could find out what he was thinking just then!"

Alligators have been my totem since - well - always, probably.  Over the years I have learned what that meant:
(1)  Family is important.  They are good parents, caring for their own and the young of others in the pod.
(2) Community is important.  They are good stewards of the environment - as they create their nests, they are also creating watering holes for other animals to gather and drink. 
(3) Roll with life's circumstances, as they roll in the water with their prey.  
(4) Their medicine (message) is about integration = fully appreciating and integrating all that life offers to avoid getting stuck in the duality and quagmire of the human judgment game.

Thanks, Claude, for a magical experience ~ see you next time!