Guest Post: I'd Probably Be The First To Starve

BlueHeronDruid says:

On the beach tonight a gull had scored himself a starfish, and was vigorously defending his prize against four or five other gulls. He shook it about and a piece broke off, sending the other gulls into a frenzy. The piece was picked up and flown away in a heartbeat.

The gull shook the starfish again and this time the larger part of the meal broke off, but leaving the gull with a substantial mouthful. The nearest interloper snagged the huge remainder and slowly and silently (not to mention smugly) walked further down the beach. The original gull meanwhile dropped the piece of meat into the bay a few times, as if to wash the sand off, and then gulped it down.

It was a pleasant moment, to stand there and watch this drama unfold. As I walked away I began to think about nature, and human nature, vis-a-vis this little Mutual of Omaha moment. The conclusions I came to were not entirely pleasant, but neither is nature, so all in all, I have to believe that the mechanisms for survival are based in rather benign behavior.

It's entirely plausible that we as a species wouldn't be here today without a healthy dose of competitive survival behaviors. Theft and killing are certainly part of those behaviors. And I began to wonder if our "civilized" behaviors would put us at a disadvantage in certain scenarios - is the person with a less-developed "conscience" better prepared to survive, having fewer behavioral barriers to overcome in order to procure nourishment and shelter for himself or his people?

I wonder. Then again, I also wonder what the urge to procreate feels like now that we've developed intellects that not only allow but also dictate that we countermine our animal nature.

But also I wonder why teenage girls of a certain size wear hip-huggers that make them look as though they're being squeezed out of a tube, all jiggly and overhanging. I wonder why reality shows are so popular. I wonder why we are drawn to look at car wrecks. I spend a lot of time wondering about a lot of things even though I'm not even all that entirely interested in knowing the answers.

The one thing I'm not wondering about, however, is why I never get anything done. And damn! I'm pretty hungry.

Comments

[Allan]

I wonder why you wonder so much. Doesn't that make your head hurt?

[Monty]

The population is still increasing so there seems to be some need to procreate left out there. And I think that the teenage girls with the tank tops are a part of that trend, which may have just started with American Idol if you missed it. I remember what it felt like, but I no longer have the language to describe it, sorry. But I'm hungry too now.

[Margaret]

I would probably starve too because I am always wondering about things. Since I teach in a high school, I spend a lot of time marveling at kids' clothing choices, and wondering what in the world they see when they look in a mirror!

[cmhl]

I would probably starve too!

[edieraye]

BHD - Your description of the gulls reminds me of Annie Dillard's Tinker at Pilgrim Creek. Nature can be cruel AND beautiful. You are just beautiful!

[ally bean]

I remember reading an article in The New Yorker that theorized that it was our curious, but cautious, cave ancestors that survived because they took on new things and thought about whether or not it was a good idea to run into an unknown cave where a bear might be asleep. Or whether or not to eat some new, possibly poisonious, berries.
So in this sense our civilized behaviors put us at an advantage.

Although I can't quite figure how the foregoing explains hip huggers and jiggle! That is a mystery.

[Carmi]

I'm glad that there are people like you on this planet who still have the willingness and the ability to observe and to think.

I guess that's why your blog is such a compelling read...time for me to go read some more of it!