Thursday, June 24, 2010

Life lesson from a toad

I was checking exterior doors for security one night when I saw a toad sitting on the cement under a light. Insects swarmed the light and I knew the little toad was enjoying a Smorgasbord. I leaned down and said "hello Toad, how are we this evening" and gently prodded the toad with my finger thinking it would hop a little bit.

Nope.

This toad reared back, raised its head and stood its ground. I was surprised. This little toad was not going to budge. It was defiant. This toad had an attitude. It was Master of the Universe and was not going to be pushed around by anyone, not even a human.

When I was a kid, toads would hop as soon as you came within a few inches of them. They hopped a lot and if you picked them up they would pee on you. There was something definitely different about this little toad.

I guess most animals have resigned themselves to the fact that they will not be here very long, that their lives are short, and they take stock of every moment. Is this a new development? Are animals developing attitudes?

What will our pets be like after a million or so years of evolution?