Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Even Ants Have To Help Themselves Sometimes
I was watching ants the other day. Riveting stuff. Just sitting on a log and watching them.
Long strings of ants, nose to tail, busying themselves going somewhere. I couldn't see the end of the trail, and I'm sure they couldn't either. But it didn't slow them down. Not one iota.
What were they doing? I've no idea. Just going from A to B, apparently.
But then a single ant came along. He was on a different path, alone, carrying a gigantic payload. Now, I'm not quite sure what an ant looks like when it staggers, but this one looked like it was close to its load-carrying capacity, and it was staggering.
No straight line for this one, just weaving. Battered by slight slopes in the gravel, it was often pushed off course. And no help from its mates in the long straight line streaming away from the hole.
But it made it. Eventually. Dropped out of sight into the gloom where it was presumably received with great acclaim - or not. All by itself.
Yes, even ants need to help themselves sometimes. Don't we all?
Long strings of ants, nose to tail, busying themselves going somewhere. I couldn't see the end of the trail, and I'm sure they couldn't either. But it didn't slow them down. Not one iota.
What were they doing? I've no idea. Just going from A to B, apparently.
But then a single ant came along. He was on a different path, alone, carrying a gigantic payload. Now, I'm not quite sure what an ant looks like when it staggers, but this one looked like it was close to its load-carrying capacity, and it was staggering.
No straight line for this one, just weaving. Battered by slight slopes in the gravel, it was often pushed off course. And no help from its mates in the long straight line streaming away from the hole.
But it made it. Eventually. Dropped out of sight into the gloom where it was presumably received with great acclaim - or not. All by itself.
Yes, even ants need to help themselves sometimes. Don't we all?
