Ask yourself the question....Is this really needed? or is that really needed? Think hard before you answer that question. What exactly are we questioning here? Love, money, nice clothes, a job, a home, a family, formal education, hamburgers on Friday night ??? This question can encompass almost every aspect of living. Many of the things we feel are absolutely necessary, are things that have been programed in to our lives by way of tradition. Ideas that have been pounded in since before we are even old enough to do much more than babble. So, did you ever think that what you are expecting out of life is not really necessary at all?

How can a tiny baby hold the answer to this question? Actually it is extremely simple. They may not hold the answer to the mess this world is in today but, they are born with certain instincts that are the foundation for everything we truly need in life. It does not matter which family, group, clan, species, or, tribe you hale from, (yes that even counts all you worms out there), your tiny newborn offspring knows what it needs to thrive in our vast world.

There Are Few Guarantees For Any Living Creature

They make documentaries about critters like the giant Sea Turtles who lay their eggs in the warm sand and when the eggs hatch the newborn babies instinctively head for the water.That is just one example of how the babies in our world operate. They know! The thing is there is a lot of danger waiting ahead, between the sand and the surf. Danger is a part of all living creature's journey on this planet. No matter if you are some form of insect or the King's first born, there is danger lurking in all new babies pathway to adulthood. Different lifeforms have different enemies but everything living has at least one enemy and most have many more.

The things we often feel are necessary are in fact not really necessary at all. We only think they are because somehow we got off the beaten path. The path is a journey toward survival until we are capable of reproduction and continuing the cycle of life for our particular clan.

This is where the Animal Kingdom has held fast to many traditions that our smarter, more capable, Human friends, seem to have lost along their way. How can that be? Dare I say? I am a member of the Animal Kingdom, I mostly live in a tree and I sleep all day. What could I possibly know about Humans anyway?

Well just because we do not speak the same lingo does not mean those Humans truly have anything up on my ability to think. My mind is not cluttered with infomercials, my bosses deadlines or, what color/ religion the next president will be. I do not have to worry about where my next meal is coming from or how I will be able to sleep at night. I do not sleep nights anyway. I sleep all day and I know some humans who wish they had it so good.

There is no stock market to fret over in the Animal Kingdom. Most of us could care less about the stock exchange when it comes right down to it. What we do care about and fear is the power that Humans have over the condition and devastation of our planet. I personally witnessed the mutilation and destruction of an entire neighborhood full of my animal and plant friends just last year. Some so called rich folks wanted to build a huge house with a swimming pool and an assortment of other so called luxurious status symbols.

With no regard for my worm friends or the trees, no thought of the pollution that new pool is going to dump in the soil, they just started building their grand illusion. I live nearby and overheard them conversing as they walked through my own neighborhood early that morning. I was just about to go to sleep when they passed beneath my tree. They were whining about the state of the Union. They were crying about the cost of food. The man was concerned for his job too. How were they going to pay that mortgage if the worst was to happen. Could the new president bail this country out? They called him Obama.

The man said it was going to be bad for our country now that we have this new guy talking about CHANGE. We were now on a road to destruction. This all made me somewhat confused. He is the one who trashed my friends neighborhood. Now he is under my tree.I sure was wishing he would keep on walking. I just do not understand why people are so afraid of CHANGE. No it is not easy

I have gotten so PHat that the Dr. says I have to curb my chewing. It is hard when you are a member of the rodent family and in true tradition I love to gnaw on just about anything, though I do not eat flesh. There is something about the thought of consuming another hairy critter that bristles my quills.

Getting back to tradition and change. Something has to give. I heard a human talk about tightening their belt. I sure am thankful I do not have to wear one of those contraptions. My PHAT belly would force my eyes to bulge if I had to wear a belt. I wouldn't want to wear pants either. There is something wonderful about feeling the open air on your tail. Those traditions are things to ponder. Why would anyone want to have to take those garments off just to take a whizz?

Think about the world today. It is somewhat frightening wouldn't you agree?

What action can each and every one of us do to make CHANGE that would bring about positive reaction?

Ponder that thought long and hard. Try to practice thinking about it as you go through your daily routines. Hold on to the thought and continually try to apply it in your everyday life.The sooner you start to DEPROGRAM your traditional thinking the sooner we will all be living on a better planet.Bless you all and hope you will return to visit me, poorQpine as often as I can publish a hubpage. I welcome everyone's point of view and feel that your comments are simple examples of how we can collectively work on helping each other make positive changes.

Shirley Anderson said it so right in this hub she has recently published. I urge each of you to read and even reread both of these hubs. Pound these positive thoughts in to your brain and start your own reprogramming now.