Uncertain Times

Uncertainty makes us nervous. The adjectives “unprecedented,” “uncharted,” and “uncertain” are clichés in the Time of Corona.

Daily life on the savannah of the Maasai Mara is a drama that lives every minute in “uncertain time.” Every morning is a triumph of the survival of a species and a potential meal for another.

Every level of the ecosystem is connected. As long as humans don’t interfere, there is no PTSD on the savannah. If a zebra foal is threatened by a lion, the mother will fight for the life of the foal. If she loses the battle, the zebra will carry on and the lion will feed its family.

Nature invites us to learn to trust living with uncertainty. When I head out on a game drive before dawn there is no knowing what I will witness on the savannah. Every day is a new beginning, a new adventure. Life on the Savannah invites me to be open to outcome not attached to outcome (one of Angeles Arrien's 4 Rules for a Simple Life).

I highly recommend the full-length documentary The Serengeti Rules. The film demonstrates how various species are essential in the way they interact with one another. As one viewer noted, “If you remember one thing, it’s about BIODIVERSITY—the need for humanity to change course and preserve our planet.” Time in the wilderness reminds me of how far off course we’ve gone. The Coronavirus offers us a fork in the road—one road points to certain disaster the other is marked “uncertain times.” Seems like an obvious choice to me.