Thursday, November 02, 2006

Dinosaurs

I still remember my first trip to the La Brea Tar Pits. For those who don't live in the Los Angeles area, it's a place where, millions of years ago, tar bubbled up from the earth to trap (and preserve) various prehistoric critters. In modern times, the tar pits have become part of a natural history museum, and the remains of those unfortunate animals caught in the gooey mess have been carefully pulled out, cleaned and put on display.

From my first visit, I sympathized with the dinosaurs, saber-toothed tigers and other beasts that hadn't made the Darwinian cut and were now reduced to skeletons for the survivors to look at. Now, I feel an even closer kinship to them.

From all indications, I have to conclude that evolution has passed me by. The life lessons I was taught, the beliefs I picked up, are as anachronistic as the dim thoughts that must have passed through the tiny brains of the various reptiles, mammals and other no-longer-living beings that museum-goers now stare at.

I share a common problem with those once-living things pulled out of the tar: I didn't adapt. Like them, I didn't know I had been rendered obsolete and superfluous until I began to sink into the muck.

With that in mind, I suppose I should not be upset with those who have turned their backs on me. They must have sensed my impending fossilhood.

I do hope they'll come to show their children my skeleton, though, and tell them stories of the days when I roamed the Earth.

If dinosaurs deserve that, I do too. They once meant something, and so did I.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

You still mean something, to us!! And I'm sure you mean something to a lot of people! {{hugs}}

Dorrie said...

This little birdie wants to tell you something..... stop whining! dang it mister, you are a great person and a lot of us know that! You just haven't met the right people to appreciate it yet... it's the people around you that are jerks, NOT YOU!

ok, morning rant over... {{{hugs}}}

Anonymous said...

Your wit and wisdom still mean a lot to a great many people, MrScribbler. It's ok to change and adapt at some things, but there are times when it is right to stand firm and not just go along with the crowd. And if "they" want to call you (or me) a dinosaur for sticking to y(our) core convictions, so be it. Remember, "Old Guys Rule!" :)

Anonymous said...

I too have failed to adapt I think. :) I don't think your skeleton will be up for viewing for quite some time.