Native By Design

Every new year most of us will try to improve upon our lives. Whether it is striving to eat better, get in shape, stay in shape, or purge our clutter; we all tend to make changes in hopes of a new and better year ahead.

The jungle is no exception to this. As we have discussed earlier this month, the natives are doing their part to ensure that I stay on my diet by depriving me of any and all food. Additionally they have taken it upon themselves to assist my effort to re-organize our dwelling. I have observed that much like primates, natives are a species that will mimic their caretakers. With a new year upon us I have been rearranging furniture, purging unused items and doing some light repairs. The natives have taken this cue to do some design work of their own.

Ever the helpful species, they determined that most certainly whatever I could do, they could do better. They started with redecorating all the doorways in the jungle. You see whoever resided here before the three of us had painted the doorways with a glossy finish that comes off easily. The natives had ascertained that if you pick at the bottom corner of the door you could get a nice long strip of paint to come off in seconds. And that strip will lead to another, and another resembling the dismantling of string cheese.

Additionally the elder native determined that the plastic replica power tools he received for his birthday could be put to better use by assisting with some “home improvement”. I could hear him happily pretending to use his toy drill as I prepared the evening’s libations. He would happily declare, “There, that part’s done!” “Yep, that parts done." How lovely to hear the native putting his creative imagination to work, and yet what a peculiar sound that followed; a loud thud followed by, “There, that’s better."

I rounded to corner to find the entire baseboard that had once decorated the end of the jungle walls lying on the floor, nails sticking in the air with a barren ring around the room. Aside the baseboard sat a native who looked as pleased as could be with his pint-sized goggles sitting atop his head and his Handy Manny drill resting in the belt loop of his jeans.

The youngest came in and was quick to congratulate his sibling on the impressive work done. I too had to admit I was fascinated by the speed and degree to which such redecoration could be accomplished given the time and tools available. Never let it be said that natives are not resourceful. Perhaps a career as a contractor does not lie in either of their futures; but then again, what do I know?

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