The Jungle Life

 Living in the jungle is a fantasy that I have often entertained, and a story which I watch myself build in my mind. What makes the jungle different? The jungle environment is apart from other people, apart from the comforts of civilization; it embodies a mode of life that is not unlike those that animals pursue--one characterized by foraging, independent living, exposure to risk, and an intimate, but not always friendly, relationship with nature.

Mother nature is fierce, and quite fierce in the jungle. When a tree falls, a bird loses its home, and must build a new one. When the winds blow strong, a deer’s scent is carried into the expectant nostrils of its predator, and its life is taken at the whim of the currents. The jungle is not unaffected by forces of nature, such as rain; it is drenched to its very core, and its inhabitants are burdened with the responsibility of packing their things and moving out at the snap of Nature’s fingers. Or worse yet, they are stripped of all their possessions social connections, and all but their life (and that too just barely).

But Nature works well with averages. A hummingbird can be fairly dependent that in the deep recesses of a flowery part of the jungle, that it can depend upon its surroundings as a source of sustenance. A bear that has lived in a cave can be fairly confident that the its home won’t crumble over its head while it sleeps. Animals have to trust Nature to remain less miserable than they have to be. A bear would prefer to have shelter rather than sleep out in the open, even if it means that it has to factor in the probability of being buried alive in rubble. In this manner, Nature favors practical decision makers, that know who, what, and why to trust. So does evolution.

A giraffe must spread its legs, bend low, and make itself vulnerable to attack if it wishes to drink. The giraffe, I imagine, does not enjoy being attacked by the king of the jungle when it is thirsty. But it would hardly give up the length of its neck if it means they could drink like the other animals; their neck is what distinguishes them, and the giraffe is proud of this (I imagine).

Civilization established by humanity is far more predictable. Building things, and making sure they work predictability is the epitome of growth and progress of human civilization. The goal is to reduce the chaos created by Nature, manifested not only by natural events, such as forces of nature, but also in a more abstract sense, such as when your loved one goes on a train that will crash fatally. Man wishes to prevent such chaotic occurrences, and if stopping them means countering Nature’s normal track of destruction, such as by building dams and earthquake-proof buildings, so be it.