Like Civilzations
It is one hot afternoon and I am sitting in the shade of my pickup truck. At the same time that I am trying to cool off, I am watching some big red ants running around on the ground. Down in the broken twigs, the brown grass, and the dead leaves, I see little dirt "roads" made by these six-legged insects. These red ants are running along these little paths at a never-slowing pace. They are running left, then right, then they stop really quick and back up, then go forward again as if nothing has happened. They are like an intoxicated human driving an indestructable vehicle through a jungle of tall trees. These little armored creatures are running around, under, and over all kinds of obstacles. I am watching these interesting little creatures and my heat-scorched mind is putting me in a semi-hypnotic trance.
My mind takes me down deep in the dark, narrow, quiet, and musky smelling tunnels. In a strange and unfamiliar territory, this fantastic ant colony unfolds its hidden revelations to me. I am beginning to see how an ant colony compares to that of our human civilization.
I am watching humans in strange looking machines. Each machine's movement is identical. Their big heads, long and multi-jointed legs, frightening mandibles, and strange shaped bodies move as if they were robotic machines. I can not hear any noises or sounds coming from them, but they do have an unusual smell about them. It is not like the musky smell of the tunnels. I am thinking this could be a scent they use to recognize another ant from their own colony. It is like a scent that an animal mother uses to recognize her young babies.
I see the worker ants. They remind me of common or day laborers. These workers are always working hard. They go searching for items that can be used for food and then bring this back to the nest to feed the "family". Some of the workers are commuting long distances to find the food and then return home on the long, hot, and treacherous road. Many of these dedicated servants have accidents as humans have accidents. Some of the ants are killed by cars, buses, motorcycles, and pedestrians. They are run over and stepped on. Things fall on them, they are burnt in fires, they drown in water, they are killed in wars, and some are killed by predators. These loyal servants labor without a complaint until the day they die. Other ants then carry them off to a place far away from the nest and discard their remains.
Some of these worker ants are "specialists". Some tend to underground gardens. Some are "herders" that "milk" aphids. Some run the nursery to tend and care for their young. Some are "housekeepers" that keep the colony clean. There are the "guards" that protect the colony. There are the "miners" that do the escavating of the never ending tunnels. Some are the "Queen's Court" that do nothing but wait on her and see to her every need.
Higher on the "pecking order" are the ants that I compare to our politicians. These ants are the drones that roam around the nest and do very little. They have a lot of "clout". Their survival is dependant on the working class ant. The worker ant searches for and bring home food that these lazy drones eat. They are so lazy the worker ants have to feed them. The only use the drones have is a once a year event. This one event is like our presidential election. In the election, there is only one winner and this chosen drone is the one that mates with the queen and starts a new "parliament".
Deep in a secured and secluded tunnel, I see the larger queen ant and compare her to a true human queen, king, or president. She rules the monarchy or government. All of the ants obey and wait on her. Like our human leaders, she is protected with the best security. All of her loyal subjects will give their lives to secure her welfare.
After seeing this fantastic world, I wonder what it would be like if our lives and our government were an establishment like an ant colony. There would be true loyalty to the leader and to the country. There would be a never ending job for everyone. Everyone would do his or her share of the work. Everyone would be treated equally in all matters. One ant would not argue with another ant. Wars would not be provoked. There would be plenty of food for all to eat. There would be no complaining about anything.
I wonder as I sit here and watch these so simple creatures. Are they really so simple? Is their world really that uniform? Is there really peace and harmony in their world? Is there a problem in their world that I do not realize or can not see?
Since I was a small child, I have always been amazed and fascinated by the ant world and until I am old and gray headed, I will always be curious about them.
I have taken time from my day to daydream and think about this quiet, mysterious, and hidden world. I have seen it and compared it to our civilization. Is the ant world really in better shape than ours?
I wrote this in August of 1998 while attending a college English class in Abilene..
