Lessons from nature...Predator and prey

“...Man is the only animal for whom his own existence is a problem which he has to solve....”
--Erich Fromm

I’m sitting on my deck watching my newly grouped up ducks peck around the yard. The big, white pekins are gentle; creatures of habit and routine. They listen to my commands, mostly because I’m in charge of the food, but they are perfectly fine on their own, and don’t like to be handled. That’s okay. They are ducks. They are meant to peck around, swim, preen, sleep, and peck around, swim, preen and sleep some more. This is their life. They are happy—that is if ducks can be “happy.” Content, may be the better word. They have their life, they know who they are.

I’ve always been a bit in awe of waterfowl. I mean they can waddle around on land, swim mightily in the water and fly in the sky, too! Amazing gifts, instinctual and by design. I guess you could say I’ve got a big case of duck envy...

I learn from them, as well. They are peaceful creatures, and are truly are designed for peace. Their only defense is in their ability to move on land, sea and in the air. They have no sharp teeth or claws, no pointy fangs, no massive muscle to fend of an attack. Just their instinct, which is finely honed—and tells them to fly away from a dog or coyote, dive under the water when a hawk swoops in or high-tail it to underneath the deck in the wintertime when overhead prey looms. Observing my ducks I’m amazed at their sensitivity in this regard. Their warning quacks alert me to danger and they’re always right. They see the predator and take action long before I even know what's going on.

So while I’m sitting outside, just being still and noticing how beautiful things are in this unruly, so-called “yard” of mine, chaos grips the serenity. All six ducks are quacking wildly and skittering across the water to get out of the pond. At first I am confused...this isn’t how they behave when there’s overhead prey. They’re not diving or trying to stay under the water. No, this time is different. I run to the pond to see what’s up. By then five of the six ducks are on the shore; one is flailing about madly with something seemingly nipping at her heels. I realize a snapping turtle is trying to got ahold of her...and though she’s big—at least six pounds of pretty, fluffly white feathered duck—the snapper is tenacious and he’s not letting go.

My heart is pounding. The duck is flailing and thrashing and squaking. I grab a big stick and run to the edge of the pond. Thankfully, the duck thrashes toward me. I don’t know what to do except slam the stick into the water where I think the snapper’s at and miraculously the turtle lets go. The duck bounds out of the water and runs to her flock. Who knows how long the predator's been lurking under the dark water, waiting for the moment to claim his prize...

I realize that I have seen this before—in a way. Lived it, actually.

I’ve heard about snappers and their tenacity. I’ve heard they can take a swan down. They do it by latching on with the most powerful part of their body—their mouths—and hanging on. Period. They do nothing else because they don’t have to. They hang on and on while the swan flails and swims and frantically tries and tries to free herself from the grip. The swan keeps trying and trying to get away, but all the turtle has to do is use its mouth to keep her in his control. Eventually the swan grows so tired she stops fighting. The snapper takes her under...

My beautiful, gentle ducks are designed to swim in MY pond and this predator is trying to rob them of that...right under my own nose...Had I not taken action, the duck would be dead.

I see some swans on the forum these days. Beautiful, gentle beings who are having trouble grasping the true nature of the snapper they think they love. It doesn’t matter how much you try to love the snapper, he will always hang on and hang on and hang on if you let him. Until he takes you down. And then he’ll find someone else to clamp onto. And take her down, too. He is wired that way. It is inevitable. No amount of wishing otherwise will change the fact that his mouth is his most powerful tool; or that he’s a predator who will keep doing what he does until there is no fight left in you, and then you go down.

Like the snapper, the Destroyer’s mouth was his most useful, predatory tool. I kept kidding myself that it wasn’t really dangerous. How could it be? The stuff that came out of it sounded so pretty. So he used it time and again to get a grip on me. And he kept trying to hang on, too. And I grew weaker and weaker. No one was there with a big stick. He almost, almost took me down. The last time he let go, I stopped swimming after him. The Path Forward put the stick in my hands.

My first yoga teacher years ago told me to watch animals. They always know what to do, she said.

My ducks haven’t stepped in the pond since Sunday’s chaos. It is unlikely they will until I remove the predator. All it took was that one time...one near miss...Instinct. They don’t second guess their vulnerability now as prey...

Even if they did, it wouldn’t be very smart. There’s a Laurie Anderson song I’m reminded of. It’s called ‘Speechless’ and the title couldn’t be more apt. In the song, she repeats a story. It, too, is from the animal world, and it speaks to those who think they can outwit the predator...

“...Like in that Annie Dillard book where she sees that eagle with the skull of a weasel hanging from its neck
And here's how it happened, listen...Eagle bites
the weasel. Weasel bites back They fly up to
nowhere. Weasel keeps hangin' on. Together
forever. ...”

Here’s me with my big stick wanting to unclamp you from the jaws...Here’s me, wanting you to find the shore...

-----------------------------------------

With big love and healing intentions for
myself and all who stop here.
(not) spinning. AND STILL LEARNING...

May 3 - 3PM
Narcphobia
Narcphobia's picture

Love this Spinning!!

Jun 13 - 2PM
IncognitoBurrito
IncognitoBurrito's picture

Love it!

Jun 12 - 9AM
Learningthehardway
Learningthehardway's picture

What a beautiful analogy!

May 23 - 5PM
shazza060969
shazza060969's picture

so true...

May 24 - 12PM (Reply to #11)
PinkPeony
PinkPeony's picture

Dear Spinning!

The Narcissists Girlfriend

May 23 - 3PM
brinamarie
brinamarie's picture

Beautiful analogy spinning...

May 22 - 3PM
Done sourcing
Done sourcing's picture

Wonderfully inspired,

May 22 - 1PM
Alissa
Alissa's picture

Love this so MUCH, Spinning!!

May 22 - 12PM
Journey
Journey's picture

Love this Spinning! Xoxo

Journey on...

May 22 - 12AM
Hunter
Hunter's picture

Ducks... Yup.. Get your ducks

May 21 - 10PM
doggirl
doggirl's picture

predator is correct

May 21 - 7PM
Laci423
Laci423's picture

What a fantastic analogy!

May 21 - 6PM
TruthbeginsToday
TruthbeginsToday's picture

goooood grief! I cried

May 21 - 3PM
Used
Used's picture

spinning

May 21 - 3PM (Reply to #1)
tryingtorecover
tryingtorecover's picture

Spinning