Just Another Day at the Zoo
Laughter does not have to come from a major source. It could be ... relatively minor.
It was a beautiful day for a trip to the zoo. No, I don’t mean I went to work; work can sometimes feel like a zoo, with all the workers confined to their cubicles for eight hours, their bosses breathing down their necks, and deadlines lurking around every corner. But today, I ventured to where lions, tigers, and bears—oh my—roam. Okay, maybe I was embellishing a bit; I didn’t spot any bears. And it might have been too early in the season for the tigers to be strutting their stuff. But yes, there were lions. The king and queen of the jungle lounged majestically. Unfortunately for us visitors, the best view we got was of their backsides, which marked the end of any possibility for an award-winning nature photo.
Speaking of backsides, did I mention the zebra? I realize I skipped over this animal in the opening paragraph, much like the bear who wasn't there. However, the star of the afternoon was a horse dressed in stylish striped pajamas, appearing to battle an itch on its back. It rubbed its neck against a tree for relief, but when that didn't work, it strutted around, dipping its head and shaking its body like an awkward dancer trying to impress the audience.
Zebra trying to scratch that annoying itch. (Photo by Vicki Minor)
The horse flopped onto the ground, still grappling with the annoyingly persistent itch, rolling onto its back like a furry acrobat. With its legs flailing in the air, it wiggled from side to side, desperately trying to reach that elusive sweet spot for relief. Passersby might have thought it was just practicing the world’s clumsiest dance move as dust clouds whirled around the animal.
Eventually, the zebra stood up, looking quite pleased with itself, as if it had just won an Oscar for Best Performance. I left the zoo smiling; however, while traveling to my car, I suddenly developed a strong urge to scratch my back on a tree.
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