A Whole Lotta Wool

Did you hear about the wild sheep that was found in Australia? They say that he was once owned but had been wandering in the wild for about six years.

I had just read about the wayward sheep the morning of my first session with a creative coach. I told her how they had described the weight of the wool as being, "half the weight of an adult kangaroo." I thought that was hilarious but it wasn't why I was telling the story. I identified with this sheep and it was exactly why I needed her help.

They named this wooly guy Baarack. The idea of a wild sheep intrigued me. In my theology background Christianity had reduced the character of sheep to the aimlessness of the animal and their complete dependence on a shepherd.

On one hand this is a lovely metaphor for the protective care of a Good Shepherd, the longed for "overseer" of mankind. Human shepherds know each of their sheep well. If one goes missing, they know who. A shepherd hangs out with sheep all day as they graze and enjoy the sunshine.

A shepherd is also fiercely protective of the sheep, not just because their fleece and milk are a source of sustenance, but because he cares about them. The life of the sheep has value.

But not all shepherds are good.

And not all sheep who wander are lost.

Who knows how or why Baarack wandered away from his flock forging his own path for better or worse. As the years passed and the burden became heavier and heavier with no solution for relief he just kept moving, however slow, however painful. His heavy load making it difficult for him to walk or see.

Baarack was sheared of what was described as the weight of a ten year old child or seventy-eight pounds.

I wondered if they would still be able to use his wool, which they described as being insect and crud (feces) infested. So I did what any curious geek would do: I researched.

The shearing process that normally would take minutes, took over an hour after workers carefully removed harmful debris from around Baarack's eyes. After shearing, the process of making the fleece functional requires five more steps.

1. Cleaning

2. Carding

3. Spinning

4. Weaving and Knitting

5. Dyeing

This video shows the process, which I found fascinating.

Some of Baarack's fleece would not be salvageable, but even within those "useless" bits were clues and evidence that told where he had been. Like rings on a tree trunk or layers of soil, the stories were all there. For years his growth went unprocessed. He meandered, being confronted with all manners of dangerous dogs and dingos, yet somehow he survived.

They say he is expected to make a full recovery at the sheep sanctuary where he now lives.

In that first session with the coach I was given a writing assignment that resulted in the following sentence.

"I want to let go of the past enough to process the pain,

celebrate my progress and proceed productively."

It was after I read that aloud that I remembered and shared the story about Baarack.

The parallels were obvious having previously discussed some of where I was coming from and my goals.

While the shearing of the years of heaviness from my life can't be measured in pounds, young children or kangaroos, the weightlessness of having let go is tangible with hope and possibility.

I'm excited to see what takes shape. Nothing is definite or perfectly clear.

But there is one thing for sure, I gotta whole lotta wool to work with.