© 2021 Kebba Buckley Button, MS, OM. World Rights Reserved.
I knew My Octopus Teacher would be a real yawn. I was astonished when a brilliant friend recommended the film. But I was curious when it won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 2021 Academy Awards. So we dusted off our Netflix membership—since it is a Netflix production—and plunked down to watch it. I was not optimistic.
Happily, I was completely surprised! This 83-minute movie has a magnetic charm that draws you in and glues you to your seat! It follows a photographer/diver named Craig Foster for a year, as he is surprised to find himself befriending a wild common octopus. He visits her every day, in the kelp forests of South Africa’s waters. They become unlikely companions, like a Pinterest gallery of chickens hugging cats, dogs nurturing orphan kittens, and an elephant with his dog friend.
Lesson 1 of My Octopus Teacher: You can be friends with funny looking creatures of some other size and species. The Octopus friend is about the size of the diver’s hand, outspread. To her, the diver must have looked huge and bizarre. But she was able to sit on his hand and gently feel his forearm with her curling tentacles. At one point, she crawled up to his chest and apparently hugged him.
Lesson 2 of My Octopus Teacher: Live within the Force of the ocean. There is an effect the diver tried to explain: that the kelp forest is very complex and always moving. You never know what creature will come around the corner of a stand of giant kelp, and how you will need to react. Just go with it.
Lesson 3 of My Octopus Teacher: Sometimes a being knows when its time is up. We need to be grateful for our fond memories. The Octopus in this film signaled the diver that she would be going. She gave birth to many tiny octopi, then was too weak to zoom away from a predator.
Line up your kids and watch this movie. You will be witness to the extraordinary. You will be blessed by the gentle and caring relationship between the diver and the Octopus. You will be in awe of what you see in the life of the South African kelp forest. Feel your heart warm and your energy soften. You will be even more Healthy Happy and Loving Lifesm.
Kebba Buckley Button, MS, OM, is a stress solutions expert, holistic guide, and award-winning author who celebrates life. She has a longtime energy healing practice and is an ordained minister. Among her books are: Discover The Secret Energized You (http://tinyurl.com/b44v3br), Inspirations for Peace Within: Quotes and Images to Uplift and Inspire, and Sacred Meditation: Embracing the Divine. The books are available on Amazon and through Kebba’s office. To email us, kebba@kebba.com .
Books by Kebba Buckley Button
Healthy Happy Loving Life! 