In the Wild, We find that education is an ongoing process. We learn, We teach, We proceed.
It’s a Pretty Effective System.
Category Archives: R Life Lessons
Slithering
Here you see (sort of) the happy Sumatran Rhino, attending to business in the lush and convoluted jungle called Home. This difficult and overgrown habitat is what keeps Us going. It’s very hard to find Us, or more importantly, catch Us.
We make paths for ourselves through the underbrush, leaving scent markers for one another as We go. We like to keep abreast of family news, but We find it safest to scoot solo.
We are gifted Skippers.
On the Rocks
We do not recall the day when Humans came onto the R Radar. They scampered around, doing who-knew-what, and We let them have their day. In the trees, in the grass, into everything. A spirited crew. Nature comprehends its own goals, not We Rhinos.
To be clear, Rhinos had been around for 50 million years or so at that point, so We had developed a great many skills and sensibilities already.
But it turned out that Humans had a keen interest in Tools. You may not think of stones as tools, but when somebody hurls one at you, it gets noticed. It is called the Stone Age for a reason. Rocks were abundant, all over the place. Humans were drawn to them.
When a species is in its infancy, We must be patient. We went further than that and offered advice and support. We will never know where you Readers might be were it not for Rhino Guidance, will We?
You’re welcome.
GlobeTrotting
Interestingly, when there is an Ice Age, much of the world’s water freezes, but does not melt. (Don’t ask why; We don’t know.) All that frozen water means there is less to fill the usual seas. So We can proceed from one part of the globe to another without either a boat or snorkeling equipment. No troublesome water, often for a Long Time.
You see here the happy Woolly Rhino, having gone from the mainland (A) to the island across the way (B). No wet ankles, just a whole new turf for investigation.
By the way, humans made many of the same trips as We did, following in our footsteps. Trailblazing, very Inner Rhino.
We have seen a lot of interesting places during the cycles of Ice Ages, which are always coming and going, as it turns out. That said, when things warm up and sea levels rise, We have been stranded in some picturesque locales. Curiosity is a mixed blessing, say We.
One wrinkle: Ice Ages are chilly, as you might expect from the title.
Say no more…
We Rhinos have intricate, nuanced ways to communicate with one another, any old time. No whisper needed. We do Body Language!
This illustration shows lengths to which We do not go. We don’t need to. These obvious gestures lack refinement. Also, they are exhausting.
We can command layers of subtlety that would confound all but the most discerning. We do not overstate ourselves. Rhinos belong to the Less-Is-More School of the Dance.
Of the examples (A & B), see if you can see the differences between the images. See? Subtle. A twitch is worth a thousand words.
Topsy Turvy
Order is really a myth, an idea that is applied to the eccentricities of Chaos. If Nature had intended things to come in neat rows, that’s how they would be. But is that how they are, anywhere?
No. Haphazard and unpredictable is the style that suits Nature. Security and stability are just illusions. Nothing and Nobody has a beginning or ending disconnected from the rest of Nature.
That’s what makes “Alice in Wonderland” so brilliant. Alice’ adventures entice her toward madness, but she determines what’s what for herself. She does not back away; Alice embraces her own curiosity. If her experiences are a dream, she is the dreamer.
Obviously Alice is a girl in touch with her Inner Rhino.
To dunk, or not to dunk…
Not all Rhinos are swimmers, probably because those of Us that live in Africa don’t get much pool time. In Africa there are both hippos and crocodiles slinking around; neither gang is good at sharing. What they are good at is biting.
In Asia, there is a lot more uncontested water to soak in. And We do, almost every day, soak that is. A few happy hours swanning around and nibbling whatever is growing on the bank. A little gossip with neighboring Rhinos. Delightful.
As you can imagine, the relief from the tropical heat is welcome. Our Big skins need Big attention, and the water is soothing. Also, ticks do not like water. Bye bye, you little stinkers.
Each branch of our family has particularities, adaptations to where We live and what We’re up to. The core is pure Rhino, but the details vary. We are all the same, and each unique. Weird.
We don’t know how Nature keeps track of it all.
Free Wheeling
Some days, hurling yourself around out there seems like a fine solution, no matter what the provocation. We gotta do what We gotta do, right?
We Rhinos don’t actually have to perform a cartwheel to grasp the exhilaration of it; We live in a state of constant exhilaration already. We just focus that thrill factor onto the cartwheel format, and Voila!
Diagramations
Here is another way of conceiving Us, sort of. You name it, We’re on it. Plus quite a few things you might not remember to name.
We’re busy.
First Impressions
We hear that making a good first impression is a Good Thing. That said, there are lots of reasons one may not be in peak form when encountering strangers. It can be as simple as a bad hair day, over which this Sumatran has obviously triumphed. Or as complex as indigestion or misplaced mojo.
Whatever, one does not need to look great; it is an unrealistic assignment for anybody. Who is to be pleased? Why concern yourself with the judgments of these random critters? Who is being fooled? We find that when the adolescent need to please goes off the tracks, We fool only ourselves. The opinion that counts is our own of Us. Each of Us. Of each of Us.
And it is unlikely, unless one is hopeless, that the issues of selfhood will center on split ends.
Your Inner Rhino 