Sticking out the tongue is thought of as clever in some circles, very few of which include Rhinos. Derision and face-making are frowned upon, except in highly stressful situations.
At Your Inner Rhino, We seldom stick out our tongues, and assume our Readers don’t either. In a pinch, a Rhino might stoop to an “Oh, Yeah?”.
(Some Hints are more heavy-handed than others.)
The Can-Can (see Oct. 21, below) was hot stuff in its day, but in time gave way to the Hootchy-Kootchy, a dance based loosely on the Belly Dance of Egypt and Arabia. Unlike the athleticism of the Can-Can, the Hootchy-Kootchy emphasizes the Gyrations of the hips and spine in such a way as to Inspire the Viewer.
The Hoothchy-Kootchiste, usually a soloist, Undulates, Wriggles and Jiggles to Sinuous Music. Everyone has a Good Time. Interestingly, much modern/social dance reflects influences of the Hootchy-Kootchy, though it seldom gets the credit it deserves.
However for Rhinos, We achieve the same hypnotic Fascination via Scent. And a Very Dynamic Effect it renders on our behalf. No joke.
It astounds Us Rhinos that Nature almost invariably provides a lot of food for Us. A few times a year We may need to go somewhere else to browse, but that’s about it.
When We go to make a meal, which is just about all the time, We do not lack for Ingredients.
It’s magnificent when We consider how many mouths there are to feed, all Critters considered. In the Wild.
Scent is what We Rhinos are all about. Our senses are simply transported minute-by-minute with a Symphony of Fragrances.
Oddly enough, We do not just inhale Scent; We see it, We hear it, We taste it. It may be that the nose takes the lead, informing our other senses. Who knows?
Who cares about these details? We are Ecstasizmed.
Transformations are really the norm of Nature. We have the Before-the-Sneeze, and then, shortly after, the Post-Sneeze. We have the Onset of Adolescence, and then later, the Fade-out of Adolescence. And so on, each experience tinting our thinking, sometimes Dramatically. Sometimes not.
Take it or leave it, each Rhino is a Work in Progress. Inside and Out. Seldom on a schedule We control.
‘Proprioception’ is the Awareness of Where our body parts are at any given moment, how they got there, and our Location on the Balance Beam of Life.
Rhinos do not spend a lot of conscious effort on our Proprioception. We are too busy pondering other Cosmic Issues.
But it’s a handy word to toss around; it impresses our Public.
Rhinos are Bulky, and proud of it; it’s no mean accomplishment in the Wild. We weigh, We Rhinos.
But Bulk comes with responsibilities, one of which involves sitting down. Prior to sitting, We try to remember to give warning, so smaller critters are not damaged.
Fair’s fair.
As Your Inner Rhino has mentioned before, Rhinos’ primary perception system is Scent. For many critters, sight takes the lead, but not for Us. We get our most Dynamic Information by Nose.
Unfortunately for YIR, this fact does not translate via electronic means. So We provide a sort of image of how it seems to Us.
We are the first to acknowledge the shortcomings of the attempt, but We feel We should get credit for the Effort. Yes, We do.
Far be it for any Rhino to begrudge another critter its livelihood, but Mosquitos pose a threat to RhinoSanity. We have a lot of surface and these flying Nightmares strike without warning, leaving Us all Itchy and Afflicted.
The fact that it is Natural, and We Rhinos are not alone in our Suffering probably means something.
But what that is, We cannot say. We get too overwrought to Philosophize.
Rhinos do not perspire; that’s just a Natural Fact. What We can do is Gasp, which is primarily an Oral Exercise. Rhino nostrils are outstanding and oh-so sensitive, but when it is time to move Maxi-Air, We favor the mouth.
These Gaspings are mostly associated with Exertion, after which We must cool down, like any sensible Critter.
There is no dishonor in puffing and panting when that’s all you’ve got.
Your Inner Rhino 