I was on the phone with my friend the other day:“How are you handling the move? You’re such a social creature.”
Really well, actually.
I can count on one hand how many people I know in Reno. That includes my parents.
After living with 20 people, I’m enjoying the space and predictable quiet. It’s both a nest and has new places to explore. Plus, I got a cat.
If you look up rhinos on the interwebs, you’ll see some facts that they are solitary creatures. Drifters, munching on greenery and enjoying their own company. Kinda like me right now: wandering around new areas, eating local food, and hanging out with myself.
Recent footage shows that the rhino is actually quite social. Especially the white rhino, who lives in small herds, primarily with females. Which is also kinda like me.
Despite all this me-time, I’m actually quite connected. I talk and text with with my friends daily. The natives are friendly. And I’ve gone to yoga, acupuncture, and attended a meet-up and met some amazing women. I’m with my herd.
As my friend suggested, I am pretty social. For now I've found a balance of quiet and social time.
Rhinos keep another, more unusual, type of company. It’s a smaller bird called the oxpecker. You’ve probably seen images on Discovery or in National Geographic. The birds perch on it’s thick skin, eating insects that would otherwise irritate the rhino.
What’s cool about this arrangement is that its symbiotic.The oxpecker gets a good meal. And in return, the bird alerts the rhino if there is danger (rhinos don’t have great eyesight).
Most mornings I walk a local coffee shop. When I enter, greetings are exchanged, and they give me something tasty. In return I give them a little cash. It’s perfectly symbiotic.
Whether it’s friends, or strangers in the coffee shop, the rhino reminds us to enjoy our herd.