On Ants, Their Lifestyle and Lessons for Us

by Adesinmi Olatoyese

I sat in front of my house, relishing the greenness of grasses; the blueness of the sky—which, however, later grew black, pregnant of rain; and the brownness of the earth.

I got tired of admiring the grasses and the sky, but I stuck with admiring the soil.

Was it browner than it used to be?
Or perhaps, the soil is something I don't see regularly?

Nay!

What brings about the fascination was some tiny creatures, in Science (or Biology) we'd call insects, engaging in an exercise, which in the human world we'd call hustle.

I was sure they were moving, but I couldn't tell whether they were walking or they were running; the speed was too much for a walk and too low for a run.

As I admire their hardworking nature, I also wonder what kind of wonder I seemed to them.

Perhaps I am some kind of giant.

They wouldn't worry too much about it, anyway; it's “something" they see every day.

Even if they have at a time wondered what sort of creation figures like mine are, it'd be in the time past, because as at the time I took my time with them, they'd have gotten used to it.

They were busy, moving to and fro mainly in groups.

I saw a group carrying pieces of biscuits, which must have dropped from the one a busy mother used in placating her crying child to God-knows-where.

A distance away, I saw another group carrying the carcass of another kind of insect bigger than a battalion of them combined.

While I watch a group struggle with their own item, another would surface, striving against the forces of the reluctant item they were porting.

On and on, this goes.

“Where are they carrying all of these to?” I queried.

I watched in excitement as a group waded through into a hole; their home.

Other groups do the same, successively.

These busy, tiny creatures are called ants, and what they were busy doing was: saving for the rainy days.

The ants do everything they could in times of surplus to stock their holes – their home – with any and every kind of food item, and then retire to these ‘stocks' in times of scarcity to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

***

It is funny how much the human race is ‘stocked' with enormous and appropriate words to describe the activities of the ants, but has a hard time exercising them.

In the narration, I used the words "a group" predominantly. It then is quite un-understandable – not understandable – why us humans find it hard to work as a group, let alone work effectively as one.

Suggested Reading: A Drunk and His Bottles

Whether these ants are of different race, religion, etc we can't tell, but with certainty, we can tell they have different minds, which, of course, is the harbinger of individual difference. As such, we can say emphatically, that they are different – different from each other.

It is the mind that harbours the thoughts that we divide ourselves in whatever line we so have, and the ants have got it, yet they co-exist and work effectively. Perhaps they are aware that united they stand; divided they fall—yet another adage from human beings.

Like someone you know, they know if they work together they can make their kingdom great…not again but all the time.

***

As obvious in the narrative, the ants are said to be saving for the rainy days they know would come.

I'm not sure if they know when the rainy day would be, but they sure know it will come. And to save themselves of the adversities of the rainy days, they saved!

Again, it is un-understandable why us humans don't do this. I mean – why the majority of us "enjoy the moment" so much that we forget what happens afterwards.

People (and countries) revel so much in good times, but fail to prepare for when the times wouldn't be so good. Thereby suffer during these not so good times. They then begin to ramble on semantics, giving the not-so-good times different names, which at the end point to the same situation; rainy day!

One of the many ways people contemn saving is prioritising wants over needs; extravagance over providence.

We are sure “after famine comes abundance," but hate to hear of the otherwise, which can be managed if precautionary measures – such as saving – were taken.

Youth exorbitance is another problem; youths "enjoying the life of their head" so much that they forget that the bones and cartilages, the strength and power of their youthfulness will at a point wither.

The ants would retire to their 'stocks' during scarcity. What will you retire to?

What will you retire to when good times and tides wave you bye-bye?

What will you retire to?

What do you think?
Share your thoughts in the comments.