Health & Fitness
Survival of the Fittest?
It "bugs" me to think that homo sapiens is more vulnerable than the no-see-ums.
There haven’t been many times in my shall-we-say abundant years when I have envied a horse or a cow---or some other creature with a long muscular tail. Today was such a day. When one is working in the yard in warm humid weather, a person needs to be equipped to deal with bugs --- bugs that are determined to invade any nose, eye, ear or slightly open mouth in their vicinity. No doubt the bugs think I am trespassing on their turf, while I see them as the intruders. It is clear, at least to me, that bugs have a very effective communication system. I’m not sure whether they use Twitter, Facebook or some other social media, but when I step outdoors, I can almost hear their message circulating: “Hey, guys, she’s outside – over there where all the twigs and leaves came down in yesterday’s rain. She’s pretty defenseless – no tail or anything. Pass the word on!” Some years ago I remember reading that the eminent Harvard entomologist E.O. Wilson claimed that insects would be the ultimate survivors in the biological world. They would have the capacity to cope with a hostile environment far better than humans. It “bugs” me to think that homo sapiens is more vulnerable than the no-see-ums. Oh well, until the day when I have to throw in the towel, I wish I had a nice long tail, or, better yet, the weaponry of a fire-breathing dragon to slay the tiny creatures that torment me when I’m working outdoors. Listen up, gnats, mosquitoes, no-see-ums, etc!