A DISTRACTION CAN MAKE LIFE MORE ENJOYABLE.

Annie Oakley found hers! Here’s what she shares about that!

I’m always surprised by who decides to visit me—especially this time. One of the most unlikely was Annie Oakley (1860-1926) whose real name was Phoebe Ann Mosley. She was an American sharpshooter and folk heroine who starred in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show.

Annie had a challenging childhood since she was one of nine children. After the death of her father, she began trapping before age 7 and shooting before age 8 to support her siblings and mother. She intermittently attended school and was soon “bound out” to a local family to care for their son. While with that family, she lived in near slave conditions for two years until eventually left to run back home. Her hunting skills were the family’s salvation. Those skills made it possible for her to sell game to restaurants and hotels in northern Ohio. With that she was able to pay off the mortgage on her mother’s farm when she was only 15.

It was at a shooting competition where she met her husband to be and the two of them stayed devoted until she died. He died 18 days later. During their marriage Annie’s husband performed with her as she shot the ashes off the cigar he held in his mouth—as well as other amazing feats. As a member of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show, Annie Oakley earned more than any other performer, except for Bill, himself.

Throughout her life, she believed women should learn to defend themselves and over the years she taught more than 1500 women how to use a gun.

Here is Annie Oakley’s surprising message.

“Hi, my new friend, I didn’t have many friends in my day and moved from town to town— traveling a bit with my shooting. The west was truly an exciting place and time to live. You’d have loved it. Unpredictable and adventurous. We never thought much about life—we reacted to what popped up in our path and how we felt in our body. When dead tired, we slept—otherwise no need—we sat and rested. We ate when it was around and whatever was around.

“I suppose I was a curiosity. I was a great shot and show-circuit life was fun and protected, really. Nobody messes with us because they all respected the entertainment value. Sort of a safe zone of existence. The only time we’d get shot was in a freak accident when somebody’s pistol was pointed in the wrong direction”.

Annie Oakley’s lesson for us was profound in the metaphor she used. Often, when a soul can’t express themselves specifically in words, they show me a picture. That’s what Annie did in this case, as she later explained.

“I guess my lesson is to remind people to find something to do that keeps you so busy they don’t notice the irritating details of life that others get caught up in.

“It’s the branches that poke us—the top of the forest is a soft cushion on which to float through life.

“I know what I meant to say, and Sandy and you captured it so I was less rough around the edges. Never knew I was so articulate! You said exactly what I meant, and I appreciate you capturing the intent in a way people will actually remember.

“You’re on target, my friend. Come join me up here and we can enjoy adventures and excitement of all sorts! Annie Oakley”

Annie’s distraction was not succumbing to the minutia of daily life and continually reacting. She lived in the moment, she found a passion that allowed her to pull away from the day-to-day— in other words rise above the poking branches and nestle into the soft cushion on top of the forest where she could float through life.

You can do that, too, when you find a hobby or something you love doing that will allow you to become absorbed and let the rest of daily drama fall by the wayside. You know, when you get into a zone while doing your woodwork, gardening, trying a new recipe, playing with your children, writing or for some people—even driving in the car. You know it when you find yourself forgetting time while you’re at it.

Annie may have given us all something to think about.