The Red Queen
“It takes all the running you can do to keep in the same place.”
-Alice, “Through the Looking Glass,” by Lewis Carroll
The Red Queen Theory refers to a species running in place in order to sustain where they are, or go extinct. Sometimes people erroneously think the Red Queen runs in place trying to get ahead, but it is actually to maintain.
Prey in nature adapts to survive, like a rodent burrowing into tunnels under the snow. Meanwhile, predators also adapt advantages, like keen hearing, to pinpoint their prey. Imagine a fox swan-diving headfirst into a snowbank for a mouse for lunch.
Lately, in the depths of my fatigue, I identify with the feeling of running in place to stay alive or fall off this 21st-century hamster wheel. I blame the not uncommon combination of technology and aging past midlife. Information from every electric-powered device I touch assaults me like rapid-fire pellets, and while I try to push to excel, in truth, it takes more and more work to not lose ground.
And what of this mess am I in control of? What have I opted in for? And what can I unsubscribe from? Or do I need to tweak the subscription level on all the things?
I list the things that raise their hands for my attention:
9-5 job
Family
Friends
Documentaries
Hobbies
YouTube
Internet rabbit holes
Wine
Whatever on this list nourishes me is what I should feed; I should limit or let go of the rest.
…
After four days of no owl sightings, I relented the search and let the nature walks take me where they would, considering myself fortunate for anything to practice on that graces my path.
Suddenly, like a feather on the ground, I looked up and saw owl Mom and one of her young in opposite trees facing each other.
I didn’t realize that the youngster was independent enough to move around so frequently during the day as it explores the roles of predator and prey.
As they mature, Mom teaches the young owls to sense when it is time to move in order to adapt to the changes around them, and they choose that which protects and nourishes them.
If only I could be that adept.
I am still learning.
