Join this traveling robot on his adventures. He thinks he has seen it all, but has he really?
Part 20: Jungle Path
“I am walking on a jungle path that is both dark and bright at the same time. The birds are chirping, the leaves are rustling, and somewhere outside of my view, a predator is watching me. Perhaps I should say, predators. The moment I stop paying attention, they will jump at me. What a mental struggle that would be. A battle of epic proportions.
Onwards I go, admiring the vegetation that is unique to this jungle. The moss-like plants are climbing up the bigger trees, strangling any new sprout that the big tree tries to grow in its lower half. Someday the vines will reach the top, but until then, the big tree will keep growing bigger and bigger towards the sky. Its crown rises up above the masses. From my jungle path, I can only send admiring glances upwards.
A monarch butterfly appears in front of my eyes. It darts and dances playfully, making the symbol of eternity. With my mind’s eye, I follow its movement in a perfect eight. Until it rises to join the big tree at the top.
All around me, ants are crawling on the jungle path. They are working hard to build a strong shelter that can protect them from visitors like me. Their work is never-ending, yet most of them will only ever succeed at building a nest at ground level without reaching the top like the butterfly did just now. Even if the butterfly only lives for a few weeks, it did so beautifully.
As the vegetation in the area of the jungle that I am exploring becomes denser, the competition gets harsher. I have to climb over the vines that are protruding from the forest path, while the ants are climbing over my legs and another butterfly nestles itself on the crown of my head. I can’t see any snakes, but I know that they are relaxing somewhere high up above, ready to take action at the first signs of danger.
They’ll sneak up on me when I least expect it and will inject me with their venom that works like a trojan horse. Unless of course I become the predator and get to them first. If I move around more smoothly, more transparently, I can go by unseen.
I won’t be the first being that climbs the highest trees like a ninja scales a wall. Straight up I go. I won’t stop to build a treehouse but instead hover just above the crown of the tallest tree. As I anchor myself to a point relative to who is on top today, I can rise above and beyond and become untouchable. Yet as I am still somewhat transparent in my attempt to go by unnoticed, no one is paying attention to my achievements. I wish I had taken at least one snake with me to the top because the butterfly will soon move on to greater things.”
