Yesterday, while driving home from class in the evening, I noticed something small scampering across the street in front of me. Slowing down as to avoid hitting it, I watched as it safely crossed the street. To my surprise, it was a baby bird, which had not yet learned how to fly. I watched as it fluttered its wings, frequently, attempting to fly. As the seconds turned into minutes, I gradually slowed down to a halt, and simply watched the bird, wondering if I was to witness the rare moment when a bird first starts to fly. Apparently, this was a case in which the common belief that all birds that are knocked out of the nest learn to fly did not hold. While I did not assume that exceptions like this were non-existent, I did not think I would so casually stumble upon something like this on an ordinary evening. Watching the bird so defenselessly and futilely trying to take to the air did cause me to entertain the idea of taking it home with me. As I was in a car, in the middle of the street, eventually, I decided against it, and drove home. Either the bird would learn to fly quickly, or it would make a cat happy.
In nature, then, there is the illusion that all birds can fly, all rabbits can run, and all fish can swim. But, now I perceive that this is because those birds that can't fly will quickly become food for the cats which roam about. Maybe that's why cats like to roam about everywhere. Maybe they're looking for snacks.
In society, though, the weak are protected. If society was as brutal as nature, then everyone would also seem capable and well off, because those who can't make it on their own can't make it. As Clarkson from Top Gear put it, "If you have a weakness, you die."
To think, about a week ago, I had caught a squirrel rolling around in my front yard, and hugging its tail. Initially, I was quite pleased to just be able to watch this squirrel play by itself. But, it was strange that the squirrel would look around periodically, as if never totally carefree, even though, most likely, it never knew someone was watching it.
Written on June 1, 2011