What Gnatalie Made Me Think About
My work recently brought me to the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.Once my assignment was complete, I had the opportunity to explore the museum on my own. What a treat.
Later, Coach Formie joined me. She purchased her ticket and met me inside, proudly wearing her P-22 shirt while visiting the P-22 exhibit. We are both longtime P-22 fans, and anyone who follows my content knows that the story of LA's famous mountain lion has become a recurring theme in our adventures.
When I first arrived, a staff member told me about the museum's newest exhibit: Gnatalie.
Gnatalie is a green dinosaur whose fossil was discovered alongside an incredible number of gnats. One of the museum's own paleontologists participated in the excavation, and the insects were so abundant that they inspired her name.
Naturally, that became my first stop.
What a sight.
The first thing that struck me was her tail. In the video I posted, you can hear me say, "Look at that tail." It seems to go on forever. Visitors can even touch one of the fossilized bones. I placed my hand against it and tried to comprehend the amount of time represented by that single moment of contact.
Lately, I have been thinking a lot about time.
Maybe it is age. Maybe it is experience. Maybe it is simply becoming more aware that none of us are here forever.
FormaFit Active was built around the idea that we should live in awe of the world around us. We should move our bodies, remain curious, and stay engaged with life. Standing in front of these ancient exhibits reminded me why.
Is this the only way we will one day see them?
As I walked through the museum, looking at preserved animals and fossils, I found myself wondering something unsettling. Is this the only way we will one day see them?
In one of my videos, while filming a taxidermy cheetah, you can hear me asking exactly that question. I hope not. But it reminded me that stewardship matters.
The museum was filled with school groups that day. Students wandered from exhibit to exhibit. Some stopped to sketch what they saw. Others sat quietly taking notes. I found myself speaking with several students at different points in their journeys. I congratulated them. I encouraged them to keep going.
Years ago, I would have stayed silent. I used to think, "Who am I to say anything?" Then one of my own students changed my mind.
After a class ended for the semester, she wrote me a note explaining how much it meant to hear encouragement from a teacher. She said that sometimes she wondered whether she belonged where she was. Sometimes the journey felt like sink or swim. I never forgot that.
So now, when the opportunity presents itself, I encourage people. Keep going.
Do the things that move your heart.
Do the things that move your soul.
Do the things that move the world.
Dinosaur footprint
The museum is full of reminders that everything eventually stops. Entire species. Entire civilizations. Entire eras.
What remains are the things we build, discover, preserve, teach, and pass on.
The visit also reminded me of a trip I took years ago to the Natural History Museum in London. I wrote about it here, Franklin, London, and the Job I Almost Said No To feat. Amplificador: Before the Brand Had a Name
There, I stood staring at an exhibit connected to Benjamin Franklin. I remember wondering if I was supposed to find some hidden message in it. I examined it closely and found nothing at all.
Only later did I discover more about Franklin's philosophy of life and how much it aligns with what I am trying to build through FormaFit: a life of usefulness, curiosity, contribution, and lifelong learning.
May we all live long, active, and useful lives as was his philosophy, FormaFit simply adds one more word to that philosophy: active.
Being surrounded by proof of the past, a past that cannot come back, reminds me how much work remains in the present.
Every one of us has the ability to choose a focus and act.
Every one of us has the ability to care for the world and leave it better than we found it.
Every one of us has the ability to encourage someone else.
The world my parents prepared me for is not the world I live in today. When I was younger, they often said that we would not live like they did. They were right.
The economy is different. The challenges are different. The future requires different skills and different forms of resilience. That reality is part of why I continue building. It is why I continue teaching. It is why I continue moving.
Summer is approaching, and in my profession it is often a slower season. But I will keep moving. Because once again, there is no better choice.
Move your body. Feed your mind. Create from your heart. And never stop being amazed by the world around you.
-Coach Vida
Read more about Gnatalie at the Natural Histroy Museum page.
More from FormaFit Active
Looking to go deeper on your walks? The Walking Journal Reflection Pack is now available to download.
El Diario Home: See El Diario’s home page explore more entries
Read more about our celebration of P-22:Keeping LA Wild: Reflections from the 10th Annual P-22 Festival
Read about a visit to the Natural History Museum of London: Franklin, London, and the Job I Almost Said No To feat. Amplificador: Before the Brand Had a Name
Follow us: