Lessons from the African Bushveld

In a world ruled by rockstar cats and towering behemoths, the site of an impala herd rarely attract much excitement from onlookers (such as myself) on the African bushveld. Numerous, unassuming and annoyingly, always on edge - what lessons could we possibly learn from the humble impala?

On a recent trip to the Kruger National Park (South Africa), I stumbled upon a small herd of impala on a early morning safari. I noticed something...unrelenting vigilance. Understandable given they are a favourite on the menu for lion, leopard, cheetah and other of Africa's lorded hunters.

What a painfully exhausting existence this must be, at the bottom of the food chain. Having your life at constant risk, restless, vigilant, on edge every hour of every day. Why even bother, this type of existence is suffering at best.

Then I thought on human existence. An existence which many philosophers, poets, scholars too characterize as suffering in essence - drudgery, pain and the knowledge of our mortality.

Thoughts shifted back to the impala. Why even go through this daily torture? Why even run? Should they not just give in and buy a fastpass to their predetermined end?

Yet at the first sign of danger the impala runs, runs hard, run for its life. It fights everyday for its existence, for it right to roam the grasslands. Those lucky enough, survive to fight another day and in doing so contribute to the continuation of the species. If the collective impala society were to decide to fold, give in and allow themselves as easy prey - fast-track the inevitable. What would this mean? Would the future foodchain not be distrupted and an entire ecosyestem crumble? Refer to Mufasa's lesson on the cirlcle of life #LionKing

Maybe that's why the impala run. It is in their very purpose to do so. They may not see this big picture of purpose, succession, ecosystems and philosophy but they do it anyway. In the face of what feels like inevitable suffering; some of us have found our purpose, some have not and some not so sure...

Nonetheless, we should get up every morning and fight, run our hearts out - there is a bigger picture, even if we cannot see it just yet. That is nature.