Animal Kingdom Comes

So here I am in Florida. Wrapped up a conference and followed it with a day at Disney's Animal Kingdom. And it was a good day. I have to admit it, commercialism at its most slick, are the Disney parks, they create wants or "perceived needs" very smoothly. I was better than on past excursions to "the happiest place on earth", but of course laid down some coin going through the park, not as much as I could have definitely, but enough. We were in luck with the weather, because although it was a rainy morning, it was cool and the animals were all out for the viewing. On our safari ride some of them even came right up to the trucks...not the ones that can eat you, the vegetarians : ) I got some great shots or at least the look good on that little window on the back of the camera.

In the first time in a month or more I chilled out, and was amazed that my thoughts could turn beyond what's the latest crisis at work and what needs ripped down, painted or repaired at home. So as we were walking around the gorilla exhibits, I couldn't help but note how much we are like these animals. I'm a theological evolutionist or whatever the bishops say you're allowed to be because quite frankly if you spend any time watching and reflecting, we're animals who God at some point in our history plunked souls into! The way the family groups relate, what they do to provide for their troop-mates, how their mannerisms are just so like humans. I got a good picture of a nine year old male stopping to take a drink from the stream with his cupped hand. How many times have I done something similar from the tap in the bathroom? And the family group. While "Dad" slept, one of the "Mom's" (how sadly like us that is too, anyway) sat there attending her children, while he slept (napped in a recliner in front of the T.V.)

Males must leave the troop around 14 or so to go and hang out with other bachelors (frat houses) or entice a female and begin a troop of his own (dating and mating all in one package). Gorillas mate for life, I never thought of having more than one mate at a time as mating for life, but that's because when the one female has a baby she won't get pregnant again for another 4-5 years so she can take care of the baby she has! Again not too different from humans...well some humans.