Saturday, August 31, 2019

Octogenarian is Considered an Octopus Whisperer at Aquarium. A Real Story





The 1998 movie Horse Whisperer was based on a cowboy having a magical ability to calm angry horses. This was a person who is considered to have a sympathetic view of the desires, needs, and motives of a horse. I never thought of this as something that could be used with an octopus. The desires, needs, and motives of an octopus are not something I would think are of interest to many people. I would be wrong. The octopus of today is probably much different than the 1960s cartoon character Squiddly Diddly. This was an underwater creature who just wanted to make music and become a famous musician. I imagine if an octopus of today wanted to become a world-famous musician, I'm sure there is at least one octogenarian who would try to help and understand.

Below are excerpts from the story with my valuable insights in italics.

BOSTON (AP) — Wilson Menashi palmed a squid in his left hand and extended his arm into an aquarium tank, watching as a giant Pacific octopus stretched out arms to greet him like a friend.
Freya latched some of her 2,240 suction cups onto Menashi’s arm, using their powers of taste and smell to gather information around the 84-year-old man known as the octopus whisperer — and the seafood treats he was bearing...Menashi retired after a career as a chemical engineer and began volunteering at the New England Aquarium in Boston. He’s spent 7,800 hours — the equivalent of about four years working full time — hanging out with octopuses, the aquarium said.


Mr. Menashi must have had some interesting retirement plans.
“In your retirement, you can play golf, go on trips, spend more time with friends and family. It will also be possible to do all those home projects you've been putting off for years."
“None of that interests me."
“What would you like to do?”
“I'd like to spend my time at an aquarium learning the needs, desires, and motivations of an octopus.”
“Well, I suppose joining our bridge club is out."
"Only if it is at the aquarium and involves an octopus."

I wonder what type of conversation Mr. Menashi has with his wife when he leaves in the morning.

“I'm going to have my hair done, do some grocery shopping and have lunch with my friends. What do you have planned for today?”
“I'm going to stick my hand into an aquarium tank and have a Pacific octopus named Freya latch her thousands of suction cups onto my arm to get the seafood treats I have in my hand.”
“You never were much for playing golf.”
“I'm an octopus whisperer, not a golf whisperer.”
“Oh.”


Menashi’s eyes twinkled with mischief as he acknowledged that encounters with octopus have left a mark on him.
“I will come back home sometimes with hickeys all over my arm and my neck,” he said.
So how did he explain them to his wife?
“Not too difficult when you have about 10 or 15 marks next to each other,” he said. “It did not take too much. She also knew where I was, anyway.”

I have never witnessed an octogenarian's eye's twinkle with mischief when talking about an octopus. I imagine it is an experience you'd remember. Maybe it wasn't a twinkle of mischief, but a sense of pride. I'm sure not many people his age can walk around town showing off their hickeys. Having up to 15 of them on your arms and neck could lead to some pretty crazy speculation. If it were me, I wouldn't say anything and just let people think what they want.

“How did an octogenarian like you get so many hickeys on your neck and arms?”
“I'll never tell.”
“Why not?”
“Hey, what goes on at the aquarium with Freya stays in the aquarium.”
“Oh.”

Menashi’s volunteer work has included designing puzzle boxes for octopus as well as rubbing their backs and wrestling their arms, all intended to ensure that the highly intelligent animals receive the mental stimulation to thrive and stay healthy.
Two decades of working with the largest members of the octopus species has not dulled his sense of wonder at the animal’s adaptability and mysteries.


How do people react to learning about someone doing this type of work?

“I like to build birdhouses for my back yard.”
“I enjoy building bookshelves for our living room.”
“I design puzzle boxes for an octopus that puts hickeys all over my neck and arms.”

I'm sure it would also be a stand-out conversation in other ways.

“I like to go golfing for exercise.”
“I enjoy hiking for exercise.”
“I like to spend my time rubbing the backs of octopuses and wrestling their arms for exercise.”
“Exercising with an octopus is interesting.”
“We're trying to put together a jazzercise routine with them.”
“I'm sure the YouTube video will be quite popular.”

Menashi said spending time with octopuses and other animals gives his life a whole new purpose in retirement

“Just being here has been, to me, a lifesaver,” he said. “Gave me something to do. Gave me different interests and showed me the world is a wonderful place to be.”


I guess Timmy had Lassie, John and Jenny Grogan had Marly and Dorothy had Toto. It does tug at the heartstrings to think of the special bond that exists between an octogenarian and his giant Pacific octopus. I'm sure many retired people take pride in their dogs, cats, and even birds. I bet few can recall any special time they spent with an octopus. Until another creature can give you sucker bites all over your arms and neck, I'm going to have to say the octopus is probably the best friend an octogenarian could have.

Here is a link to the story.




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