Surviving Our Own Blindness

A couple of years ago I was off down in the woods, just taking a walk, when I heard something stirring around in the leaves.  I stopped and stood silently waiting to see if I could spot whatever might be making the noises.  It was only a moment before I spotted this critter poking around looking for something to eat among the detritus of the forest floor.

He walked to within inches of me before discovering that I wasn't a couple of trees standing there.  Upon realization that I was not what he thought, he bolted a short distance and when I didn't follow, stopped and resumed his search.  It's a good thing I wasn't a threat to him.

I think we are often like that armadillo.  We become so focused on our daily routines and tasks that we fail to look up and see the potential dangers lurking around us.  Even worse, we often mistake those dangers for something benign.

It would be very easy to "go political" with that analogy.  I will leave that to the minds of anyone who might read this.  I could also go into the realm of business and examine the many ways this occurs in that area.  It also is applicable to our personal lives and the dangers presented by the various human predators lurking around us -- which brings us back to the political.

Personally, I think a certain level of danger is good for the human species.  Without it we lose sharpness.  Dullness can apply to a blade or, to a mind, or to physical health.  Without the stimulus of occasional danger we lose attentiveness and the ability to respond.

I'm not advocating that we should constantly seek unreasonable risk, but I am saying we are "wired" for danger-awareness.  I suspect it is why there are so many thrill-seekers doing crazy things that we read about or, watch on a YouTube video.  We are genetically programmed to risk danger and learn how to respond to its presence.  It is part of the survival mechanisms wired into the very fabric of our being -- even at the sub-cellular level.  It is that important.

Along with that importance is the tendency to build defenses against the danger.  That leads me back to the political.  A "Nanny State" is not the answer; personal responsibility is.  If we abdicate personal responsibility for our own safety to a "benevolent, all-protecting government" we will find ourselves blindly falling into the hands of the predators who seek those positions of power -- much like the sight-challenged armadillo that walked up to me. 

Yeah, I ended up going political anyway....

Mabel the Guard Donkey

A few years back we adopted a jenny from the BLM's Wild Horse and Burro adoption program.  We called her Mabel.  She had been a resident of a BLM facility in Oklahoma prior to coming our way.

We adopted her because we had been having trouble with coyotes and black vultures harassing new born calves and their mothers.  We had lost a few calves and decided a "guard donkey" was probably the best solution.

We considered purchasing a donkey locally, but thought one that had been born in the wild would have stronger protective instincts than one that was raised in a purely domesticated situation.  Sure enough, Mabel was true to her heritage and was a protective mother to our baby calves even though they weren't her own offspring.

I spent some time with Mabel breaking her to a halter and to lead.  She never completely adjusted to human guidance, but did become less intractable with time.

We needed Mabel because cattle today have had most of their survival instincts bred out of them.  They are used to man caring for them rather than having to cope with a far-from-benevolent natural world which would quickly take their life in the never ending struggle for survival.  We have civilized them -- bred the "fitness" from them.

I think sometimes that is one of the biggest problems with civilized humanity today....