Have You Ever Felt Like a Baby Iguana?

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The Distraction I Needed, When I Needed it Most

It was my seventh week on St. John when I saw the baby iguana. He could have been born the day I arrived, but most likely after. One thing was clear; this little guy was new to the world.

Curiosity, when peaked, is a great feeling. Seeing something (or someone) new for the first time can be rousing.

At the time, I was sick, and had been for nearly a week. I vomited daily and slept like shit. All I thought about was how awful I felt.

My mindset became my mind trap.

That is, until: “Look! Shiny object!”

Right Place, Right Time

The iguana caught my eye as he ran across the outdoor deck. He was a green – a brilliant hue of green – unlike any iguana I’ve ever seen.

Instantly, nothing else mattered. My mind was entirely focused on the iguana.

He was moving fast! I didn’t expect to get close to him, much less get pictures. I thought for sure he’d be gone in a flash.

Lucky for me, he fucked up. Lucky for him, I’m not an asshole.

Welcome to the World Vivarium, Little One!

He couldn’t have known what was about to happen. Like fish jumping out of the water and and into a net – whatever he was chasing led him straight into a trap.

He was caught between two doors and could only see the world from behind a screen.

He was so busy looking one direction, he didn’t notice the solution was right behind him. All he had to do was turn around and walk away. Easier said than done, apparently.

Now Iguana Have Some Fun With You

He was easy to manipulate in such confined space. From inside the house, I made him look larger than life – as most people do, with themselves, from the comfort of their keyboards. But, he wasn’t a troll. He was more like Godzilla!

Help Those in Need

Never tell an iguana that he looks like Godzilla. I don’t know why, but he didn’t find it funny. Obviously, he was stuck in a rut and didn’t know what to do. On the inside, he wasn’t as bright. He lost the spunk he had when he first caught my eye.

He looked bored, anxious, and wanted to be free.

He had no friends on this side of the screen. There was nowhere to run on this side of the screen. His side of the screen had limits. He was held back on this side of the screen. Basically, he was trapped, alone, and unable to physically navigate his world. He could only watch everything happen, whatever it was, from his little space.

It was time for him to go.

I had to help this little guy out of his fresh hell and get back to life – without scaring or harming him. That meant, no hands near the iguana. He was frightened by hands.

I Know You Can Do It

The iguana wasn’t coming out of the space on his own so a friend and I tried to help. We detached the screen, then flipped it. He was no longer on the inside looking out; he was outside looking in.

Immediately, he looked brighter, healthier, and more hopeful than ever. He didn’t move. He just sat there, staring at the world over his shoulder.

Freedom’s Just Another Word for Nothing Left to Lose

Barriers are restricting and remind us of what we can potentially accomplish. That is, if you don’t succumb to a spiral.

It took time, but the iguana grew tired of sitting still and staring at a screen. Eventually, he looked away from the filtered world and hopped onto the deck.

He landed on his feet, stood still for a minute, and analyzed his situation.

Now on the deck, he could see the house, and wanted to get as far away as possible – as quickly as possible.

When freedom’s at risk, there’s no time to waste.

Iguana Break Free!

When the iguana turned around, my heart sank. There was nothing I could do as he launched himself off the porch.

The ground was 25-feet below deck.

The thing about the real world is this. Shit gets real. Sometimes, too real. Isolating yourself is one hell of a way to find out what that means.

The iguana had a rough morning that day, but don’t worry about him. I have good news.

He landed on his feet, stood still for a minute, and analyzed his situation.

He was free to explore his natural environment. Hell, he was free to do whatever his heart desired. With that, the iguana disappeared into the forest.

He Survived

I noticed I felt human again. I didn’t feel nauseous. In fact, I felt better than I had in days.

The Iguana Gave Me the Green Light

At that point, ~~his~~ my journey truly began.

I spent 21 more days on St. John – on my feet.

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Does 11:11 Toy with Your Mind?

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Over and Over Again

I’ve seen 11:11 on a regular basis for many years. At first, it only appeared on digital clocks, but today it’s extended to the strangest things. Today, it continues and more frequently than ever.

Constant Reminder

11:11 is a constant reminder of something I struggle to explain and don’t fully understand. It doesn’t surprise me anymore. In fact, I expect it. I’d be surprised if I didn’t frequently see 11:11.

It’s like an ongoing game of peek-a-boo and 11:11 is my babysitter.

I Began to Notice

I can’t remember the first time I saw 11:11, but it became impossible to ignore. It’s a number you don’t forget.

Something naturally compelled me to check the time during this magic minute as if I was loaded with an app called Biological Clock.

About two years ago I began to notice 11:11 when it had nothing to do with time.

Is it just me?

No, it’s more common than I thought, but I didn’t give it much credence until I received one particularly fucked up email I never should have received; an email I still can’t explain.

I haven’t written about it before because I figured my 11:11 experience was nothing more than countless recurring coincidences.

That is, until last summer.

The One I Can’t Explain

On July 15, 2016, I received an email from the Devilish Smirk site notifying me of a new blog post. That’s standard whenever I publish a new post.

If content is added, a one-time email is sent to all subscribers that day.

There was a problem with this one. Nothing new was posted on July 15. Even more, the last time I published anything was in May.

There was no reason for me to receive an email, but there it was.

This post was an update on my dog, Marco, after undergoing surgery on October 31, 2015.

Funny thing – I never noticed that I published this 11 days after his surgery on November 11, 2015.

Apparently, 11:11:11 can be right in front of your face and completely overlooked. I’m actually shocked I didn’t notice this before, but it wouldn’t matter if I did. This 11:11:11 bent the rules to get in my face.

We’re talking about a system generated, duplicate, erroneous email sent over eight months after it was originally posted.

It makes no sense.

Could it have been a message from Marco? Yeah, I’ve turned into that guy.

The July 15, 2016 email caught my attention like 11-11″ dicks.

I began looking into the date 11/11 instead of the time.

I’m a recovering history bonehead. Nothing bored me more in high school than history. Today, however, it’s one of my favorite things to research, analyze, and discuss.

Armistice Day Marked the End of World War I

November 11 is known as Armistice Day which is the day the armistice was signed between the Allies of WWI and Germany, in France, marking the end of WWI.

Visit the Wikipedia page for Armistice Day to learn more.

WWI officially ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. (11:11:11)

In the United States, we call it Veteran’s Day

When I discovered the July 15, 2016 email included 11:11:11 and Armistice Day included 11:11:11, my inner geek grew three sizes.

Had it not been for the July 15, 2016 email, I would’ve probably never made the connection between 1918 and 2015.

The thing about 11:11 is you cannot search for it; 11:11 finds you. That’s how I interpret the July 15 email.

This November will be the 99th anniversary of the end of WWI.

Now for some Notable Standouts of My 11:11 Experience

Voicemail from my mom

Just as before, I didn’t notice this one the first time around. I caught it earlier this year while clearing voicemails I never listened to. More often than not, I return calls without listening to messages. Moral of the story? Listen to voicemail from mom. This 11:11 arrived five months late, but it was just in time.

Searching Devilish Smirk in Facebook App

The search results listed three recent blog posts. The results made me look twice. The post titled What are the real issues in America? was posted on March 11 and had 11 shares. Oddly, when I searched on my laptop, it didn’t say March 11, it said about 2 months ago.

My First Negative 11:11

I check various stock performance just to see what the good old industry is doing. I’m draining my 401(k) these days and not contributing, so I’m not exactly in a position to purchase stocks. Both of these 11’s are red and negative. That can’t be a good sign, but what do I know? To be fair, the ticker has done well the past year.

Way to keep an eye on things Mr. McDermott! Also, congratulations on your fat salary and good luck on Wednesday’s call.

11:11 Jumps the Shark

Really? Last Thursday, I met with a realtor to get an idea of the current value of my house in today’s market. This is a comp of another home in my neighborhood – the only house for sale. It’s overpriced and doesn’t have a pool. If you live in Scottsdale, you need a pool. Trust me. She told me she would price mine $30,000 less than this hot box. I don’t know what she was smoking.