Over the holiday weekend, I headed out of town to Santa Barbara, CA. On Thanksgiving morning, I went to the zoo, and before you start mocking my travel habits, keep in mind that there are few things in life more wonderful than watching elephants smashing pumpkins on a 70-degree November morning. But a valuable part of the day occurred at the penguin exhibit. A trainer was in the habitat cleaning, and she was chatting with one of the visitors standing near me. As they were talking, a penguin named Monty was trying to pull himself up onto the rocks, but he kept sliding back into the water. He would get discouraged, take another lap around the pool, and try again. And he would keep slipping. He couldn't quite get his flippers to grip the rocks. Viewing this struggle was adorably funny (he's a penguin!), but frustrating as well, as I wondered how exactly this tuxedo-clad fella would ever make it.
After a few minutes, the trainer reached down and gave little Monty a boost. The penguin almost seemed to thank her in his own waddling way, but then she told us why she did it. The trainer said, "He's just a young teenager, so that's why I helped him. He still doesn't quite know his own body and capabilities yet. If he were an adult like the others, I would never help him. Once they are older, they have to do things for themselves. We have to replicate their real lives as much as we can, so they need to be left alone to figure out their own way."
What a strange idea: adults should survive on their own without relying on help. We need to stop treating college kids and everyone else over the age of 18 like little Montys. If penguins can learn to figure out life, no matter how rocky or slippery, perhaps humans can too.
After a few minutes, the trainer reached down and gave little Monty a boost. The penguin almost seemed to thank her in his own waddling way, but then she told us why she did it. The trainer said, "He's just a young teenager, so that's why I helped him. He still doesn't quite know his own body and capabilities yet. If he were an adult like the others, I would never help him. Once they are older, they have to do things for themselves. We have to replicate their real lives as much as we can, so they need to be left alone to figure out their own way."
What a strange idea: adults should survive on their own without relying on help. We need to stop treating college kids and everyone else over the age of 18 like little Montys. If penguins can learn to figure out life, no matter how rocky or slippery, perhaps humans can too.