Marmota monax – the groundhog – a humble, mostly herbivorous rodent, is found in ecosystems in much of North America, largely on the eastern half of the Mississippi River.
They are known for their burrows and for their hibernation period, which has been canonized in our culture in the celebration of Groundhog Day.
For a medium-sized mammal, the groundhog has left quite an imprint. They go by many names, such as whistle pigs, woodchucks and, more broadly, marmots. Groundhogs have been fully embraced by the people of western Pennsylvania and were judge, jury and tormentor to the frankly awful Phil Connors, portrayed by actor Bill Murray in 1993’s “Groundhog Day.”
There are certain hot spots on campus where groundhog sightings are quite common. The area in between Heathman Hall and Brookside Hall comes to mind, along with the lawn outside of the Center of Biotechnology and Life Sciences.
As with many of the critters on campus, groundhogs have lots in common with us students. We both spend a lot of time at home and love to lie in the grass and soak in sunshine on a temperate New England day.
Have you ever encountered a groundhog? Have you spoken to the beast? I have. And now, I will never forget.
The conversation starts with tense but respectful eye contact, and before you know it, when you expect just about anything else, you can’t help but behold the wonderfully unexpected. The mythic becomes real, the ethereal now comprehensible, all because the beast has graced your eyes.
In this trance, you forget all previous folklore you once held dear. The state of what you previously recognized as “winter” or “spring” is now no more distinct than two grains of sand in a desert unbound by time and space. Time doesn’t mean anything to the hibernator. That is its gift to you.
Grace. Mercy. Concepts seemingly just out of reach not only become feasible but are just as easy as breath itself. It’s a biological miracle.
Now you understand why Phil Conners was spared by the beast. In their unrelenting compassion for good, they broke the space-time continuum to turn one arrogant broadcaster into a loving man.
From Punxsutawney to South Kingstown, rejoice in the ability for all of us to better ourselves. That is the only way to embody the groundhog.
