Animals are great. They don’t worry about work, they don’t stay up half the night fretting over how to pay bills. They just get on with life and that’s something we could all do with doing more of. So in the spirit of loving life the way only an animal can, let’s follow the examples of these great creatures.
5. The Cockatoo Who Loves Wheels
Cockatoos are amazing birds. They are smart, they are funny and they can talk. They also love to spin around in circles because they are basically tiny children with wings. Cockatoos are brilliant, and this little cockatoo has got life all worked out.
Look at that little guy go. There’s no stopping him in his pursuit of a good time. He could teach us all a lot; although he’d probably have to teach us it all again because nobody would be listening once they got dizzy.
Okay, maybe he’s not the best example. What about…
4. The Orang-utan Who Loves Magic Tricks
Orang-utans are having a hard time out in the wild because humans won’t stop killing their forests to harvest palm oil. It’s a horrible situation that needs far more attention levelled on it because it has to stop. This Orang-utan won’t help with that however, because this Orang-utan is too busy laughing its fuzzy arse off over basic magic tricks.
Sometimes we need to remember that amongst all the horribleness that is going on in the world, there are still moments of pure joy. That’s why this Orang-utan can teach us so much. Grab those moments that make you happy and cling to them. Then go out and stop idiots destroying the forests so you can have slightly gooier chocolate spread.
3. The Cockatoo That Loves Echoes
When it comes to Cockatoos, there is one breed that you would absolutely say “yes, that’s a cockatoo, that’s what cockatoos look like” and that breed is the Umbrella Cockatoo; also known as “that massive white bird that looks like a parrot with an mohawk”. Cockatoos are great.
This particular umbrella cockatoo has realised two things: it likes to shout (as so many cockatoos do), and it really enjoys echoes. Imagine how happy this little bird must have been when it realised it could use a small cup to combine its two favourite things for maximum pleasure.
What this bird teaches us is that you can find happiness in the most unexpected places; as long as you’re willing to shout loudly into plastic and annoy all your neighbours. Never feel the need to conform to the standards of The Man, you go and embrace your wild side.
2. The Tailorbird Sews
If you saw a bird that can sew, what would you call that bird? If you said “a Tailorbird” then congratulations on reading the title of this section. You’ll go far in life, you mark my words.
Tailorbirds saw how other birds collect twigs and bits of random crap to build their nests and they said, as a collective group, “damn, that looks uncomfortable”! It’s true, I heard them.
Instead of collecting twigs, the tailorbird has decided the best means of making a nest is to stitch leaves together using bits of thread-like material; to create a tent that absolutely rocks the limits of the comfort meter. There will be no twigs sticking into backsides in this nest!
What the tailorbird has taught us is that sometimes the best way to ensure your own personal comfort is to build a space that’s just yours. You don’t need to do what everyone else is doing just because they are doing it, you can go your own way and make something that’s truly special because it’s just yours.
Oh, and it also teaches us that tool making, sewing and building our own houses isn’t something unique to humans because guess what, mankind: it turns out we aren’t special.
Thanks, bird. Thanks for destroying our self-confidence; you little, feathered git.
1. The Dog That Rides The Bus
Dogs love to go to the park. Some dogs don’t like to have to wait to go to the park. Those dogs will drag their owners along after them while they run to their favourite parks, to frolic and play because dogs have got this whole “life” thing worked out. Then there’s Eclipse, the Labrador-Mastiff mix who don’t need no man to get what she wants.
Eclipse waits at the bus stop for the bus that passes by her favourite park to arrive. She then gets on the bus, rides to the park and gets off at the correct spot – and she does it without her owner. She’s able to do this because Seattle allows dogs to ride on busses at the discretion of the driver and apparently all the drivers in Seattle have collectively decided that this dog is a very good dog, so she can ride as much as she likes.
Eclipse teaches us that you don’t need to wait for permission from others if you want to embrace all that life has to offer. You can just go out and grab a piece of the good life for yourself. So be more like Eclipse and find that favourite park you’ve been looking for.
Zoë Kirk-Robinson is a cartoonist and comedian who writes every day because she thinks it keeps her sane. Her latest book, All Over the House: Book Three, is out now.
Leave a Reply