Wise Words From a Sage Woman: You Are the Filter For All External Experience

The White Feather Farm blog is one of my favorite stops and today's post is a worthwhile read:

http://whitefeatherfarm.wordpress.com/2012/05/14/new-sights-the-miracle-of-this-day/#comments.

It seems that while away on vacation in Mexico this past week, WFF blogger and spiritual advisor, Mary Muncil, learned that she is "the filter for all external experience." Wise words from a sage woman.

All too often, when faced with a new or particularly scary challenge, I forget to turn my filter on. Instead of being proactive, I'm reactive. This is never a good thing.

The recent case of bovine warts affecting our heifer, Libbey, is a good example. Since seventy-percent of all equine sarcoids contain bovine wart virus, I was terrified to learn that the other cattle and horses were at risk.

Two weeks into this latest challenge, I've finally gathered enough information to ask some thoughtful questions. This afternoon, I chose to enlist the help of Dr. Megan Jurasek, a veterinarian I trust. Here's what I learned:

• No studies have been conducted to assess the risk posed to horses when an active case of bovine warts is in close proximity. This is largely due to the range of livestock management practices, widely varying pest or vector populations, and individual control measures for flies and other biting insects. Horses living in proximity to cattle may or may not develop sarcoids, while those living without cattle can and do. Having an active case of bovine wart virus on site logically increases risk.
• Libbey should completely resolve in six weeks. As of this writing, we're two weeks into managing her warts and they do appear to be drying and dropping away. If Libbey does not resolve in six weeks, we'll need to cull her from the herd.
• Bovine wart virus does not survive well in the environment. It requires a host, meaning our outbreak likely came from a neighboring animal.
• Vaccinating our other cattle should help mount an immune system response that will protect them against bovine warts.

Mary was right. Each of us is the filter for all our external experiences. Bovine warts no longer scare me -- it's just a viral infection, one I'll need to outmaneuver.

Do you have your filter on?