Are you ambitious? Do you have a specific objective you want to reach by a certain age?
In a world populated by the avaricious and the aimless — sitting on their butts, waiting for good things to happen — goals seem to be passé. Nevertheless, it is admirable to set goals and work hard to reach them.
Life being what it is, roadblocks pop up along the way before you reach your goals. Some roadblocks may be people, ready and willing to deter you from your path. Some roadblocks may be difficult, but never insurmountable.
Humans are not the only ones on the planet to have objectives. For example, predators whether they are Raptors ready to pounce on their prey from above or those stalking their prey on the ground, they all have goals. Usually, their daily goals are to hunt, kill and eat as many creatures as necessary to fill their growling stomachs.
If they have babies, then they aim to protect and feed the babies until they can fend for themselves. In this regard, the animal kingdom is better at nudging their kids out of the den or nest than human parents. Neither beasts nor birds tolerate able kids to live in the basement nest, living off the largesse of the parents.
Aside from the daily necessity for food, the males in the animal kingdom set their sights on luscious females. They try to impress the females so they will consent to mate and propagate the species. Compared to the magnificent plumage of male birds, who preen and strut their stuff before picky females; the male land animals are not nearly as pretty in their displays of virility.
Then there are the male giraffes who give new meaning to the term “necking.” By necking, we are not referring to snuggling behind the bushes with a consenting female giraffe. Giraffes use their long necks in a seemingly insane mating ritual. The goal is to kill or defeat the opponent and win the willing female.
The weapons giraffe males use to overcome their opponents are their necks. Just like humans, giraffes have seven vertebrae, but each one is over ten inches long. So, after one male emerges triumphant, but before he gets friendly with the girl giraffe, he probably makes a quick stop at a local chiropractor’s office for a little neck popping adjustment to set everything back in its correct place. Of course, giraffes are hard put to find bushes tall enough to hide behind for their subsequent amorous adventures.
In the animal kingdom, females choose the winners. Unlike human females, who have been known to choose losers with alarming consistency.
Out at the Funny Farm critters abound, including an exceptionally determined cardinal. He sings a few bars of a lively cardinal tune and then flies up and down our game room windows for hours on end. He diligently flies at his reflection in the window, pecking with his beak and attacking with his feet. Perhaps he is trying to reach out and touch that reflected bird to bond with it. What do you think?
That crazy bird is tireless. He has been at this futile endeavor for several weeks. If we tap on the window or move the blinds, he flies to the other window and continues his determined assault. Oddly enough, those two windows are his sole focus. Clearly, the bird’s goal is misplaced, and success will never be his.
Hubby thinks the crimson dude may be trying to impress a female by serenading her and then attacking a perceived rival. From this human female’s perspective, acting insane is not a desirable trait in a potential mate.
Perhaps people are not the only ones to go insane, if so then Albert Einstein’s definition of insanity applies to man, beast or fowl.
“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”