Odie Posted October 28, 2007 Share Posted October 28, 2007 I don't give a lot of thought to Zen, don't know much about the concept. I'll try and write this from a standpoint of neutrality, I would just like share what I saw. I'm at the range the other day, doing my thing. I keep hearing this weird noise in my electronic muffs. There's a man and young child in the bay next to me, and I think at first maybe the child has a game or is just making a wierd noise. Finally I figure out it's in the weeds. I walk over and see a Garter snake, and he has a frog. The frog is making noise, and for good reason. I find myself feeling sorry for the frog, and listen to the thoughts in my own head. If I kill the snake, he's just dead, and the frog probably dies too. If I take the frog from the snake, the snake may die this winter, and the frog probably dies later as well. If I frighten the snake, and he drops the frog, the snake probably dies this winter and the frog dies too. If I leave things alone, the snake probably lives and the frog certainly dies. I decided this whole scenario was much larger than me, and it would be arrogant to interviene. There was nothing evil here. The snake was without malice, just doing his job. He was quick, accurate with his strike and without judgement earned a meal. The frog was apparently less quick, and while not DESERVING of dying, was going to power the snake's exsistence. My view was that is just the way of things. I thought about our sport, and likened what I saw to what we do. Those on top are there because of something they did or learned. I would venture to say they are quick and most are probably without judgement. Those who don't win don't DESERVE to lose, but they lose nonetheless. I guess that too is the way of things. If everyone won, we wouldn't have a game. I'm just running my head, anyone who has thoughts feel free to add. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AikiDale Posted October 28, 2007 Share Posted October 28, 2007 It does not matter if you are the snake or the frog; unless you are the snake or the frog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdstihl Posted November 10, 2007 Share Posted November 10, 2007 Do not interupt the nature of nature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barlin Posted February 1, 2008 Share Posted February 1, 2008 Great post Odie, Win, lose, success and failure are man made concepts. Life in conflict is mankinds disease. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SA Friday Posted February 1, 2008 Share Posted February 1, 2008 This was my first thought, so I'll just throw it out there... Dude, you're on acid arn't you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
p99shooter Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 I'm always explaining to my son that animals are not 'good' or 'bad'. They didn't take the fruit from the tree. Your post is thought-provoking. I would probably have had the same things going through my mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stockton Posted February 10, 2008 Share Posted February 10, 2008 I would have just peed on them and see what happened! OK, all kidding aside, you are wrong, sorry. The frog DID deserve to die. He was slower and weaker than the frog that got away. That one is humping the dead frog's girlfriend and stronger, faster offspring will result. It is what it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris iliff Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 You should have killed them both. A nice meal or two. A wallet and a bookmark, perhaps snake skin grips for a gun. How wasteful. The powers that be put you in position to feed and clothe yourself and all you walk away with is an analogy to competition shooting. An epiphany? That's all? Your lucky it wasn't a setup. That frog and snake might have feasted all winter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odie Posted February 14, 2008 Author Share Posted February 14, 2008 The frog sounded really pitiful, looking back now, maybe TOO pitiful. It very well could have been a setup, I hadn't thought of that. Perhaps if I had gotten closer they might have sprung their trap. I could have been killed. I see that frog and snake again and I'll know something's up, especially if they're in my favorite bay again. Waiting. Lurking. Biding their time eagerly awaiting that guy with the filthy G-35 with motor oil and crud oozing out of it. Oh, the HORROR! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentlemanJim Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 It at all possible I would have saved the frog......I like frogs Am not so fond of snakes .....It would have been ok...if the snake was eating a mouse...I hate mice Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odie Posted February 14, 2008 Author Share Posted February 14, 2008 Jim, that only leaves us in the dark. The REAL question is what would you have done if the snake was eating a Grizzly bear? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisStock Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 Jim, that only leaves us in the dark. The REAL question is what would you have done if the snake was eating a Grizzly bear? uh.... run like hell? Nice original post...however.... no more cast lead for you.. too much lead vapor is my initial diagnosis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odie Posted February 18, 2008 Author Share Posted February 18, 2008 I get my cast bullets at less than $30 per K, so there's not much hope for an intervention at this point. I'm too far gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentlemanJim Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 Jim, that only leaves us in the dark. The REAL question is what would you have done if the snake was eating a Grizzly bear? After promptly soiling myself..... I would take up a new sport.....SPRINTING Jim...LMAO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted February 25, 2008 Share Posted February 25, 2008 Odie, I admire your restraint in not interferring with nature. I could never just walk away like that. FWIW, they both taste like chicken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Dunlop Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 Odie, I admire your restraint in not interferring with nature. I could never just walk away like that. and even if you did manage to, you could never, ever tell your wife, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badchad Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 I had a similar experience when I swerved my truck to avoid running over a tarantula wasp. Then I thought of what a tarantula wasp does; it stings and paralyzes a tarantula and lays its eggs on it, when they hatch they slowly devour the tarantula alive. I remember thinking I bet the tarantulas would have preferred I had run it over. After that I became almost completely nihilistic with regards to nature. Think of it this way, if you killed the snake you probably would have saved hundreds of frogs. By letting the frog die, you saved the lives of hundreds or thousands of insects. For some reason this episode reminds me of this: http://www.theonion.com/content/node/33140 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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