The Gorda Gecko

On the Caribbean island of Virgin Gorda lives a tiny but precocious gecko named what else?--the Virgin Gorda Gecko. The typical Gorda Gecko measures about 3/4 of an inch in length, but possibly inspired the notorious "Wall Street' character, Gordon Gecko. These little guys are cheeky, but wise. They bravely appear almost anywhere at the most unpredictable moments, but then vanish just as quickly. During a recent visit to Virgin Gorda, one of these diminutive dynamos leaped on to my hand while I was reading quietly in my lounge chair then laughingly launched himself out of sight. They are truly amazing creatures.

On my last day on the island, I set out on a hike through the rainforest, a trek dappled with scenic views of the ocean far below. I intended to hike in solitude, but my gecko friends chose to keep me company. They are bold creatures, seemingly unaware of their size and the potential danger that surrounds them. And yet it occurred to me that maybe they understood something that I was missing.

Along the way, other creatures joined the geckos to greet me on this somewhat abandoned trail. One of the more amusing was the most massive hermit crabs I have ever seen. They were everywhere. These creatures, lacking the wiliness of the geckos, were possibly the clumsiest fools I've ever seen in nature. Unaccustomed to intruders, the hermit crabs were stunned by the threat of danger. Hearing my footsteps, their instinctive reaction was to roll up in their ill-fitting shells without regard to their position on the precarious slope surrounding the trail. The result--every single crab rolled awkwardly down the slope above and landed precisely in my path teetering hopelessly on its back leveraged by a typically over-sized shell exposing itself mercilessly to me, the potential predator. The trail was strewn with bits and pieces of foolish crustaceans verifying my theory. As each little crab rolled into my path, I took the time to set in a safe position, scolding it as if it could understand my every word. But, I couldn't help but observe the contrast between the hermit crabs and the Gorda Geckos.

I suddenly realized that for years, I had been so like the clumsy crabs. How did I get that way? When did I start hiding in my shell? And, oh my God, this shell has been way too heavy for me to carry on my back! What was I thinking?! And how many times have I been teetering on my back, exposed to the world, but senseless of the danger assuming like the proverbial ostrich that if I stick my head in the sand, the danger will pass?

And I took another look at my gecko friends--as they were in fact observing me with amusement. They knew I had figured it out...their secret. Living large is not a measure of size or position--it's a choice. We can hide in our shells and blame our situation on the restrictions of our "living space", or we can venture out and own the rainforest...3/4 of an inch at a time if necessary. But we just need to be brave enough to begin.

And so...I choose to begin. The rainforest will be mine!