In the children’s book Charlotte’s Web, the spider, Charlotte, weaves the words “some pig” into her web, describing her friend Wilbur. Another of the words she painstakingly weaves is “humble.” Being humble and impressive are not mutually exclusive.
Who do you admire for their ability to be both humble and impressive?
“We do not brag about ancestors that were not great”
―Bangambiki Habyarimana
Who, among your ancestors, do you prefer to keep in the shadows?
We are on the move. That’s all you need to know. Maybe we’re hunting, maybe we’re not. All you need to know is that we’re moving. And you should probably stand back.
Whose presence makes you feel more powerful?
“We share a common ancestor with chimps that is not shared by mandrills, we share a common ancestor with mandrills that is not shared by bushbabies, and on and on and on, to the ancestor we share with nematode worms that is not shared with oak trees.”
―Simon Barnes
How do you experience connection to non-human ancestors?
Everything can shift in a moment—not just the moment of the catastrophic earthquake, but also the moment of insight or inspiration, the moment the pieces fall into place, the moment you decide, the moment friendship turns into love. From the outside, most of those moments look like nothing in particular.
When was a moment that your life shifted, although no one could tell but you?
