I never thought a cartoon could change the way I look at real life, but The Nut Job somehow did. At first, it was just a fun movie to pass time, but the more I watched those squirrels hoarding nuts and scheming, the more I started to wonder about the actual lives of squirrels. How do they really pick which nut to keep? Why do they seem so smart about it? Before I knew it, I was paying way more attention to them than I ever had in my life. Not in a creepy way, just curious.
I started watching them closely each time I went to the village, noticing the way they darted from branch to branch, how precise they seemed in choosing what to carry away, as though every nut had been weighed in their tiny, clever minds.
There’s this palm tree(well several) my brother planted in my mom’s farm. They’ve grown so tall and bear palm nuts, and when they’re pressed, the oil is like gold. People use it to cook, and my mom always tells me how rubbing it on the skin gives you a kind of natural glow. But the problem is, in our village, you can’t just cut down the nuts once they’re ripe. There’s this law that says you have to wait a certain period before harvesting.
But guess who doesn’t wait? The squirrels. By the time it’s officially “legal” to cut the bunches, those little creatures, and the birds too, but mostly the squirrels have already eaten through half of them. I’ve watched it happen so many times. The palm nuts get so ripe, almost calling out, and then the squirrels swoop in like they’ve been planning it all along. For people who rely on selling the nuts, it’s a real loss. But me? I can’t even bring myself to stay angry at them.
It’s strange, but I think I understand them a little more now. The way they move, the way they pick, the way they never seem to waste time, it’s all survival. Their own way of survival. Although it’ll be nice if they share a little. Anyway, I believe that in their own way, they’re just doing what we’re all trying to do, make it through each season with enough to keep going.
This is my response to the Freewrite daily prompt
So much to learn from just watching...people, animals, how things interact. I think there are a few things or oversized frontal cortex is good for, but it's also a huge distraction sometimes. I try to keep a moral compass and be aware of what might get me in trouble and make strategies, and analyze things...but half the time I want to think as little as possible. I think I do a pretty good job....I guess if you fail enough, failure stops being scary ;-)
This really hit the right nerve. I feel inspired. Thank you <3
Squirrels are the same all over the world, but in your case, they are hurting the people who depend on the palm nuts.
What kind of palms are these? They look like either what we call queen palms or royal palms. I have queen palms in my yard, and they produce a lot of seeds, and yes, I see squirrels running across the yard with them, but I do not care because I do not use them for anything.
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This is it. Because you asked, I had to look it up on Chrome. The tree belongs to the palm species. I guess I didn’t call it for exactly what it is(oil plam) as over here, we just call it palm tree and go our way. Lol. My apologies.
Thanks for explaining, I do not have this kind of palm.
I can't bring myself to be angry at them too. I find them so cute and maybe that's why they can get away with everything 😂