09012011

Nubian ibex.

The hierarchy of a herd is defined by the struggles between two males. They clash their curved horns against the ones of the opposing male. The power struggle between the two may last even for an hour in the exhausting heat. The horns are sharp but the aim never seems to be to injure the opponent. Just to win the battle and humiliate the loser into a loss of possible mating. Its an impressive sight to see the two strong, agile males push all of their efforts into climbing up higher in the hierarchy of the heard. The herd consists of only males, so the competition is rough.

While the young and ambitious males battle for life and death and the permission to mate, the eldest of the males searches for food with the females. The females have a herd of their own and the male elder is partly a part of it. As the alpha male doesn't have to struggle for mating rights, he can concentrate on finding life-sustaining things to support his own and the lives of the females and their young.

Living an ambitious life gets you far. Struggling for something you really want usually pays off in the end. The ibex don't get to choose their ambitious lifestyle. Nature has put it upon them. People, in turn, do get to make the choice. Do you want to spend an entire life time competing for power and the luxuries that come with it or do you want to spend your life time searching for things that make you feel alive?
   This all sounds fairly high-above-the-ground-head-in-the-clouds -like thinking but I've been thinking a lot about my (near) future lately. Do I want to experience life to the fullest, alone or with someone, or do I want to take my ambitions into my own hands and thrust myself into a laborous future at this, early, stage of life? So far, I haven't figured it out yet. I'm leaning towards the first choice but I'm afraid of loneliness, and even more afraid of falling in love. Combine the two. It results in the only reason why I've been thinking about the choice between the aforementioned plans for my near future. Maybe God will answer?

.all the trails that they made we followed.