I’m a grandfather to seven-year-old Sam who possesses an endless fascination with dinosaurs.
Did you know — if all of Earth’s time from the very beginning of the dinosaurs to today was compressed into 365 days (one calendar year), the dinosaurs would have appeared January 1 and become extinct the third week of September.
~ Dinosaurs were here for 165 million years.
According to this same scale the Earth would have formed approximately 18.5 years earlier.
Modern homo sapiens would have come on the scene at 11:59 PM on New Year’s eve.
~ We have been here for 200,000 years.
When I shared this with Sam he asked me quizzically:
“Grandpa, how long is 165 million years?”
Well, I had no ready answer. After some quick arithmetic — it’s 32,000 times longer than modern recorded human history, which dates back around 5,000 years.
I choked at the vastness of those numbers.
Sam pressed on:
“Grandpa, how could dinosaurs have lived for so long?”
That question really got my head spinning.
So I dug deeper and discovered their longevity was due to an extraordinary ability to adapt.
- They learned to live in all sorts of ecological niches.
- They were masters at adapting to the planet.
They changed their body, diet and behavior to accommodate a changing planet.
Indeed, had the Chicxulub asteroid not slammed into the Gulf of Mexico 65 million years ago the dinosaurs might well be ruling the planet now.
Then Sam hit me with the mother of all evolutionary questions:
“Grandpa, will we (human beings) be around for165 million years?”
Now here, Grandpa decided to punt. I couldn’t bear to share with him
- my skepticism
- my doubt
- my frustration
with the outsized appetite of those all too willing to deprive the planet of the wherewithal to provide for future generations.
But that’s a story best saved for another day.
What I did say was, “Sam, I know what we can do.”
- We can imitate the dinosaurs
- We can learn to change our behavior when the world changes
- We never need fear change
I then shared with Sam the story of Carl the caterpillar, by Judy Beno.
Once upon a time, in a bustling forest, there lived a little caterpillar named Carl. Carl was known for his love of routine and his fear of change. Every day, he would follow the same path, eat the same leaves, and chat with the same friends.
One sunny morning, as Carl was munching on a juicy leaf, he noticed something peculiar. A group of butterflies fluttered gracefully overhead, their colorful wings sparkling in the sunlight. Curious, Carl asked them where they were going.
“We’re off to explore new lands and discover new adventures,” they replied with excitement.
Carl was amazed but also a bit scared. He had never left the safety of his cozy little tree before. But as he watched the butterflies soar into the unknown, he felt a flutter of excitement deep within.
With a determined wriggle, Carl decided it was time for a change. He spun himself a silky cocoon and nestled inside, ready to transform.
Days passed, and Carl waited patiently inside his cocoon. He felt strange and uncomfortable at times, but he reminded himself that change was necessary for growth.
Finally, the moment arrived. Carl emerged from his cocoon, but he wasn’t a caterpillar anymore. He had transformed into a beautiful butterfly, with vibrant wings of his own.
With newfound confidence, Carl took to the skies, joining the butterflies on their journey. Together, they explored new lands, faced challenges, and experienced the beauty of change.
And as Carl soared through the air, he realized that change wasn’t something to fear. It was an opportunity for growth, transformation, and endless possibilities.
From that day on, Carl embraced change with open wings, knowing that each new adventure was a chance to spread his wings and fly.
Sam, Carl has a lot to teach all of us.
So let’s find our inner dinosaurs and change with the planet.
Just a thought…
Pat
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