How Things Came To Be This Way

How things came to be this way is the theme for the first half of Ishmael, the book that I'm currently reading.  It sets out to make you examine the world as you know it, showing you that the facts of mankind are only myths (because it all depends on who you ask to tell the story).

We all have a way of believing that the world was made for us to use as we see fit.  In reality, our existence on the planet can only be equated to the length a single song on a greatest hits album.  Still, we are powerful and intelligent and we seek to conquer the world.  In the early days of expansion we conquered the West.  We conquered space when we put a man on the moon.  We have even conquered man himself by mapping the genetic code.

We have conquered all these things but yet we can't really explain how things came to be this way.  There is life around us that is regarded as less and yet it continues to thrive.  The civilized and the wild.  It seems to be that the wild has done a better job at conquering.

This afternoon I saw a single goose cautiously navigate a 5 lane road, traffic moving in both directions.  His strength to venture across the sea of asphalt impressed me.  He moved slowly, almost seeming to look before stepping into each successive lane to ensure his safe passage.  He turned back once or twice, but persevered and made it across.  The goose conquered civilization.

I've never hugged a tree and am as guilty as the next person for accepting my role in the universe.  I know that "progress" won't stop because a few well-intentioned but poorly listened to groups of people want us to adopt a manatee or save a spider or plant a bean sprout.

Still, I couldn't help but smile as the wild goose conquered the ways of the civilized man.