On my way to work the other day I looked down from the skytrain as it whizzed over Central Park. I noticed a few dark, black squirrels foraging in the grass.

A thought crossed my mind. Here are these totally simple creatures, yet they can survive totally on their own in the woods. They find food and shelter and give birth and raise their young – all by themselves. If the average human being was left naked and alone in the woods, he/she would have about 1% chance of survival. We would have no idea what foods to eat. We would lack the tools and know-how to build a basic shelter. And giving birth on our own? Yeah, right.

The common squirrel. They kick human-kind’s ass big time. The next time you think of squirrels as beneath you, you should think again. They have way more skills than we do when you strip down our existence to the bare necessities.