When We are scooting around in the Wild, We get revved up. Some sort of whiz-bang happens inside, which is called Endorphins. We feel great, very Can Do. Not so much nutso, as Dynamic and Electromagnetic. And occasionally Heliotropic.
That is one reason you may see Us taking it easy from time to time. We just have to download; there is only so much Joy anybody can stand without having a Spontaneous Combustion.
There is a lot of sound here and about. How We process it is hard to explain; pretty unpredictable what grabs our attention. Sometimes it feels like Dumb Luck is calling the shots.
What’s easy to evaluate is whether the Team is functioning effectively. If not, the listener (We) can get into Trouble. Not all sound is enchanting in the Wild.
It’s a good thing that We are Quick. Once We know what’s going on, that is.
First off, to relieve your minds, Baby Rhinos do not have a horn when they arrive. Thank heaven, say all Moms in a chorus. Loud.
But horns do start growing early on. It’s a gradual business and a delightful one for the Tot. Who wouldn’t like to see these nasal ornaments sprouting? Makes Us feel like Team Players, wee but dedicated. Boys and girls. Horns may start as insignificant lumps, but that’s only the beginning.
There is a lurking issue, and that is Itching. All one can do is endure it, and rub it. And stare at it as best one can. And ponder the marvels of Growing Up, which, let’s face it, are pretty Mysterious.
Horns require a good deal of attention, not only in youth but later too. They need care and honing on rocks and trees. We want the hornage We each get to reflect our awareness of how swell horns can be.
By the way, horns can be broken off, one way and another. They do grow back. Like your fingernails, they keep chugging, first to last. Pretty much a Wow experience- and oddly enough, one only We Rhinos are in a position to report on.
SheNaniganza is the shrewdest of the Disruptions, planning Discombobulations and Gumfoozlements. SheNaniganza is the most daunting Invisible Crony each Mom must confront. Tantrums and Commotion are one thing, but calculated Confusion is more confounding. Patterns develop; once the Tot sees that a stratagem has worked, why not try it again and again? Crafty is as Crafty does… or something along those lines.
SheNaniganza is always on the lookout for variants on the main theme, namely Maternal Vexation. The cry goes forth: “Tots shall inherit the Earth; Tot-Power, Yessssssssssssssssssssssss”. (fist pump, fist pump)
When everything goes according to plan, the Tots are right.
RunAmokus is probably the rowdiest of the Disruptions. Chaos and anarchy are insufficient; crashings about and leaps and a few cavorts are necessary to create fully-realized Disarray.
The Disruptions work together, though RunAmokus and Thunderumpus are definitely sidekicks. Their work is almost always spontaneous, wild-eyed, and mindless. It is their disregard of order that makes them so appealing to the Young whose R Tot activities are closely monitored. By Mom.
As young Rhinos mature, the Disruptions age too. Their basic nature does not disappear, but other developing Inner Rhino systems make them, well… less disruptive. Flare-ups still occur, but not with the trying regularity of childhood.
RunAmokus is not strictly gender-linked, but it is true that many male Rhinos do not acquire the same level of control as females. And vice versa, sometimes too. Ask anybody.
You probably know this, but it’s National Bean Day, yes it is! We Rhinos are all for beans, all kinds, all flavors. Beans are remarkably useful for helping make gas, inside, between one end and the other. Chew them up, and Bingo! gas!
We have always felt that one of the many reasons We are so light on our feet is that We are bouyed up, like a Macy’s balloon. Veg Gas is lifting us! Is that Marvelous or What?!? That is what contributed to our inventing the pirouette. Bet ya didn’t know that, right?
Honestly, what other critter would have come up with that?
All young Rhinos have Invisible Playmates. Not all these friends are well behaved, and such an accomplice is Thunderumpus, whose specialty is Hullabaloo.
These sidekicks are unpredictable because they have no scent, just perverse influence. That said, every Mom is familiar with her own feisty pals, so she has a good idea of where things are headed when the ruckus starts.
These companions have lifelong impact. That’s how it is, so why fret over it? They are not Guides (11/22/14); they are Disruptions. They are part of the R-Package.
Fortunately, Thunderumpus has a short attention span, so the frenzy is mostly brief, though intense. Tots often feel pretty smug after going bonkers, and may require a post-turmoil nap to restore their equilibrium.
January 5 is the full Moon this month.
Though you probably know that the tides are Unpredictable, you might contemplate yourself. We know We become astonishing and bizarre when the Moon is full, so in all likelihood you will too. Certainly your Inner Rhino will.
There is a thrill factor to the full Moon, We admit. Part of one’s wits are functional, but the insights of Full-Moonism do not yield to simple willpower. Our chemicals are affected, not a lot but enough. Obviously We mostly come out all right. But Sometimes, We land in a Strange New World. Maybe that’s how things are supposed to work; The full Moon may be here to adjust our internal recipe. Nature does not report to Us, so We can’t be certain.
Assessing the results of any Full Moon is puzzling. Which of Us is OK, and who needs observation? Never easy to know, ya know? Seeya Tuesday…
When do any of Us start? For Rhinos, there is a moment when We become aware of what’s going on, there in our Mom’s body. This realization is pretty abstract. We are part of Mom, but also, We are each Rhinos-in-the-Making.
Rhino pregnancies go on for 15 or 16 months. The long and short of it is that when We come on out, We each have to be ready to Go.
Inside Mom We get not only a Rhino body, but We are schooled in Rhinotude, RhinoLore, R-Potential, R-Imagination, and R-Humor. Each of Us has a built-in R-Compass, plus an R-Connection to all Rhinodom, present and past. RhinoHeart. All of this while We are inside. We don’t know how it works or how long it takes, months or moments? No clocks in there. We only know that on The Big Day, We arrive equipped.
Some parts-in-waiting are installed deep inside, so We don’t realize it, because they are related to our bodies. Smelling means nothing inside, but once outside, things become clear as that System revs up.
This interior process is a Must, because when We get outside, there are a zillion other things to learn and absorb. Moms are spared the education within; it’s just part of the Natural System as designed. Her job starts when We arrive.
Plus We then have bodies to work with, which has a lot of attendant considerations. We need to get skipping right away, as you can imagine. Before skipping was invented, We lurched.
Plants are great Communicators, busy night and day. As living things, they have an agenda and an arc to their lives, just As We do. They change hourly, first to last. Waxing or waning.
They must want to be eaten, or they would not be so irresistible. Sometimes every part is marvelous, sometimes a plant is not fit to eat at present, and says so. Not every plant is here for Us. But every time, plants tell Us what’s what. All via Scent!
We can hear Scent, even when We’re upwind. Not every critter’s ears work that way, but ours do. There is a sweet Vegetable Siren Song that calls out to Us.
If plants were not so clever, We would be constantly getting poisoned, but that is a ridiculous idea for Us. Every plant is cranking out updates on itself, every minute. We just Pay Attention. Plants are generous with their powers, sharing them with Us on a daily basis. They are very trustworthy.
Plants are Nature’s Darlings. What sort of hooligans would We be, not to sing their praises?
Your Inner Rhino 