Charlotte Wakes Up

After Charlotte dreams each night, she must awaken to a bright new day. Some days, her human allows her to sleep in. Most days, she wakes around 9am. She wakes slowly, as a child might on a school day. If her human is in a hurry, she will be awakened early, to ensure proper feeding. As yellow bellied slider turtles require a twelve hour circadian rhythm, she is generally put to bed at approximately 9pm each night. When Charlotte wakes up, the first thing she looks forward to, is food. This is good because it is an indication that she is healthy and looking forward to getting stronger. Her basking lamp is turned on first and once she comes out of her shell for the morning, her human will shake the food, which Charlotte knows by sight, and sound. She scurries fast toward the side of the tank where she is fed and pops her head up out of the water as if to say, “okay, I’m ready, feed me!” After feeding time, Charlotte is delicately handled and inspected for any infection that may find its way to her shell or skin. Now it is time for exercise. She will be taken outdoors for at least an hour each day as well as it will be ensured that she basks for at least two of her waking hours per day. Some turtles hibernate. Mostly in the wild. Charlotte will not need to hibernate because she has a human that cares for her. Instead, every day is bright and new and appreciated in the world of this little reptile. She awakens to a loving, caring voice that feeds her and she is just happy to be alive.

Charlotte Observes

What an interesting life the human must lead, thinks Charlotte. As she basks upon her sun rock observing the room around her, Charlotte watches her human working. Writing. Typing up some little story about a turtle. The small turtle observes her feline lying at the bed’s edge, near enough in proximity to her tank that the two may see each other from most angles within linesight. She wonders what these mammals must be doing all day while she simply searches for good food, plays with her guppy (which is too big for her to eat yet) and basks upon her rock. Simply enamored by the movements in the room. Charlotte has observed and continues daily to watch what is going on in this mammal infested household. She has decided that it is safe for her to live here and has become quite content with the daily routines. Thus, she basks upon her rock more. Furthermore ensuring that she is a healthy turtle for braving her fears and climbing atop this rock to dry her shell and warm her cold, reptile blood. It is important for turtles to bask upon a warm surface under a sun lamp as they would bask upon a rock in the real sun out in the wild. This process of ‘basking’ helps the turtle digest and capture the correct quality nutrients from their diet. In this however, remember that turtles are also very shy creatures. You may notice in nature that you rarely see aquatic turtles up close. They are faster than you think. Imagine something necessary to your own life which requires sustenance in quantity and quality. Perhaps, lotion on your skin. Fruits in your diet. Clean air for your lungs. Charlotte is shy by nature and has compelled this notion into action whereupon she may be an inspiration throughout this blog to motivate us all to be cognizant of our own observations. There was a time when the shy anxiety of Charlotte’s tiny little nerves would not allow her to bask up on the rock, which she ultimately required for survival. It took time for her to observe the surroundings of this world and learn whether or not she could trust the movements, noises, sights, smells and even the temperature in the air. Think of the surroundings her species is typically dealing with. There could be a hawk surrounding the area, an alligator just nearby, or worse - improper amounts of sunlight. Through observation and instinct, Charlotte has made good decisions. Realize that observation is important. In a world when we are so immersed in our social media and other distractions, this is more important than ever. Think of Charlotte. Think of Survival. Charlotte Observes. Do you?

Charlotte Dreams

According to studies, turtles do NOT dream. However, most studies turn to debates and are open to opinion. Charlotte Dreams. Most likely she dreams about food because that appears to be all she thinks about during her waking hours, as she skitters at the glass of her tank throughout the day, hoping her human will feed her some snacks. There are various representations available for the meaning of a turtle in a human dream. So, that brings the question to mind - if turtles do or could dream, what would they dream about? Dreaming is defined as the following, according to Dictionary.com: - - - A succession of images, thoughts, or emotions passing through the mind during sleep - - - An involuntary vision occurring … when awake. - - - A vision voluntarily indulged in while awake; daydream; reverie - - - An aspiration; goal; aim - - - A wild or vain fancy Then, think of this: Turtles have been populated upon this planet for millennia. Consider the deeper context within most of these definitions provided. Be creative here. Turtles must aspire for something or their species must not be able to survive. Finding the right mate, finding the right food. Sure, most of this could be purely instinct, but not according to Charlotte. What about a new rock or a different flavor guppy? Wouldn’t a turtle just as any other creature have the aspiration for a bigger, cleaner, sunnier post to bask? Charlotte has a deep meaning within. A representation of peace and good luck, among other pertaining characteristics such as longevity and wisdom. For this reason, perhaps it is not absurd to believe she dreams of frolicking through Shamrocks in Ireland. Or maybe swimming in a luscious pond in an exotic locale. Usually when it is time to wake her up in the morning she is refreshed and happy and seemingly prepared to face the new day. This must be an indication of a good nights rest, probably, maybe even a good dream or two. According to the definitions provided, it is only a perception of fact when we do not pay attention to details and therefore it may be determinable that turtles DO in fact dream. Some might say Charlotte cannot make friends either, but we have a better understanding here, now don’t we?