Iris29 Feature

A Day in the Life of Adam...

6:00 A.M.
ROAR… ahem, *yawn*. Adam winds up his hibernation for a new season (day) of activities. As he rustles around in his bed, seemingly adjusting to the light of a new day, he becomes cognizant of his surroundings. What does a recently hibernating bear do first? Why, answer nature’s call, of course. What does Adam do first? Apparently, nature’s bell still rings in his land, too.

6:10 A.M.
Still rigid from the long rest, Adam decides to do a little stretching exercise to get the blood moving. Seen this before? My neighbour’s cat likes to do a little dance in the morning on my front deck before unleashing a silent roar (yawn). Many animals are known for their symbolic stretch and yawn (even my old hamster), which begs the question: who learned to stretch first?

6:15 A.M.
In the wild, generally, when you see an animal running at full stride, you better watch out— or you’ll be its next meal. With Adam, his motives are a little different when it comes to running in the morning. “It helps me focus throughout the day…” he says. “And I love the fresh air.” Though his stride is somewhat lacking compared to a cheetah, his run for health is similar to the cat’s run for survival.

6:45 A.M.
As the water jets out the shower head, I am reminded of the small lakes of the savannah and the elephants attracted to their splendour. Using their trunks to create high pressure jets of water, the elephants cleanse their bodies of the dirt and grime they accumulate throughout the day. Do the elephants know of the ancient proverb? I wonder...

8:00 A.M.
After strapping on his dress shirt and slacks, Adam hops in his car and drives to the office where he works as an architect. Because it’s “Casual Friday,” he neglected to wear his tie. I’m thinking he’s simply protesting the lack of fresh bagels in the staff kitchen. The glow in his eyes as he designs simple structures, reminds me of the organization a beaver must have as it carefully lays piece after piece of wood and mulch to create a cove or dam. Whether he’s in a group or working individually, Adam always seems to have a ruler in his hand.

12:00 P.M.
After chewing down an “unsatisfactory” bagel for lunch, Adam enjoys walking to the park by his office to do a little yoga. After accumulating energy and, seemingly difficult stretching, Adam sits in a comfortable pose (called an asana) for some mental relaxation and introspection. The calmness that comes from meditative postures can also be seen in the animal kingdom. In India, apes are observed in nature, and noted for their particular abilities and accomplishments. Imitating these qualities was considered a sign of spiritual enlightenment, and these observances formed one of the oldest known healing therapies: yoga.

4:30 P.M.
After work, Adam volunteers his time tutoring some high school students in mathematics (being the math whiz that he is). As I sit in the back of the room, watching him explain centripetal forces, I can’t help but remember a time when I saw a mother duck teaching her babies how to catch food from the bottom of a pond (maybe it was the angle in which I watched the classroom, or my mental state, but the similarities were undeniable). Both Adam and the mother duck were teaching skills to the younger generation that will lead to survival in the world in which they live.

6:00 P.M.
With no regard for chewing— and the normal demands of a digestion system—we see Adam feastingona meal prepared by his girlfriend, Eve (I couldn’t even make up something this good). Proper table manners were, obviously, not something taught in Adam’s upbringing, I think to myself, as I watch him chew/choke down his food several bites at a time. If my sister of 10 years ago were here, she’d probably start with the *Oink* *Oink* sounds. A couple times I jerked in my chair thinking, I may need to perform the Heimlich manoeuvre (yes, it was that bad). Was Adam raised on a farm, you ask? Hmm… maybe pigs don’t have it so bad after all?

10:00 P.M.
After a few moments of reading some Archie comics, Adam decides to retire to his room for the night to rest and rejuvenate for another day of activity.

The only conclusion I’ve taken from the day with Adam is that it is, indeed, true that we hold strong similarities with animals and their behaviours. Maybe this understanding will allow us to look at our culture, and our environment for that matter, in a more holistic (whole-is-tic) way. Maybe the answer to life is as simple as recognizing our similarities rather than our differences?