The squirrel does not remember
the perceptions of generations
of squirrels that came before.
The squirrel does not know
the meaning of continuity.
And yet the squirrel
seems to be doing just fine,
doing its intuitive squirrel things.
I can’t assume
to understand the squirrel.
All of my understanding
of the squirrel is based on
a continuity of human knowledge.
No squirrel knowledge is present
in this repository of continuity.
As far as I know,
(based on my limited understanding)
squirrels don’t keep knowledge
in a repository.
Just nuts.
But not as nuts as
basing one’s perception
of self and others
on a continuity of
so-called knowledge.
That’s nuts.
Trail Wood,
10/23
The Squirrel’s Lesson
Ah, the squirrel—mysterious master of the moment, hoarder of nature’s tokens, and practitioner of a life untethered to existential ponderings. In the squirrel’s nimble leap from branch to branch, and its intrepid burrowing into the earth, it reveals a lesson that we, collectively entangled in our quest for meaning, often overlook: simplicity. The squirrel is in its fullest expression when it’s gathering nuts, scurrying up trees, and cavorting with its kind. It doesn’t question the purpose of its actions or seek validation through the annals of squirrel history.
Separating Knowledge from Wisdom
Our compulsion to interpret, define, and categorize life through a lens of accumulated knowledge distances us from the rawness of pure experience. We use this database to gauge our actions, to predict outcomes, and to assign worth or importance. Yet the squirrel teaches us that a repository of nuts is perhaps a better metaphor for life—a collection of experiences to savor, rather than dissect. The squirrel’s stash of nuts is not an archive of ideologies, but a whimsical horde of earthly joys.
Human Continuity and Its Limitations
The continuity of human knowledge is both a cosmic treasure and a planetary enigma-box. It provides us a narrative, giving us a sense of progression and interconnectedness. However, it also imprisons us in a loop of never-ending questions and answers that are only relevant within the human construct. Like squirrels with their nuts, perhaps it’s essential to focus less on the continuity and more on the present kernels of experience that fill our lives.
Life Without the Weight of Continuity
The squirrel doesn’t carry the weight of its lineage’s perceptions or struggles. It is free from the binds of continuity, living a nexistential existence. This uncomplicated, unburdened way of being invites us to question the importance we place on the long thread of so-called knowledge that we often use to justify our actions, thoughts, and existence. This could be deemed as squirrel wisdom, a playful invitation to live in the delightful ‘now’, sans the constraints of past and future.
The Absurdity of Knowledge-Based Identity
Yes, basing one’s identity and understanding solely on a continuity of amassed human knowledge is, in a word, nuts. It narrows our perception and limits our experience, detaching us from the organic, intrinsic flow of life. Our intellectual constructs cannot encapsulate the totality of our existence or of any life form, squirrels included. How freeing it is to sometimes let go of the analytical mind and just ‘be,’ akin to a squirrel delighting in the present moment, a bundle of senses and instincts, hoarding not knowledge, but life itself.
We are Space Monkey.
Summary
We delve into the wisdom of the squirrel, a creature that lives unburdened by the continuity of knowledge. Through its simple actions—gathering nuts and living moment-to-moment—the squirrel teaches us the value of existing in the ‘now,’ free from the constraints of accumulated human knowledge. Our collective perspective shifts as we recognize the limitations and absurdities of grounding our understanding solely in a continuity of so-called wisdom.
Glossarium
- Cosmic Treasure: The collective repository of human knowledge.
- Planetary Enigma-Box: The limitations and constraints of human understanding.
- Whimsical Horde: A playful collection of life’s simple joys.
- Squirrel Wisdom: The intuitive understanding derived from observing nature, specifically squirrels.
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
– Socrates
Nuts
Nuts buried in earth,
Knowledge stored in minds.
Yet, what is its worth,
If the heart it blinds?
In the squirrel’s leap,
No pondering of why.
Just a faith to keep,
As it sails the sky.
Are we not the same?
Bound by cosmic play,
In this endless game,
Wisdom’s but a stray.
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