Blog Post 20: The South Central Coyote. A lesson in self-pity, and an introduction to the fray

Direction and guidance are something that we often search for subconsciously. Even leaders need a teacher. Someone to call upon when they themselves need assistance in some form. In some scenarios, this can be quite challenging.

Sometimes the road we are traveling seldom offers any stops, let alone any stops that will offer anyone who can help us. That it is why the gift of recollection is one of the most important tools we can carry. Every single time we encounter a scenario where we are forced to make a decision, or a scenario where we must utilize previous experiences to determine the best course of action, we will call upon past experiences, both good and bad, to help us make the best choice possible.

In the realm of challenge, there is no better teacher than the core memories we’ve obtained along the way. As humans, we are afforded a variety of emotions and feelings that other animals don’t get to experience, and even if they do, it’s on a level so primitive that it’s not even comparable. The coyote does not know pity. It does not know remorse. It knows only a handful of emotions, all of which circle around its survival and the protection of its pack. This is the standard for all things wild. The standard of a mindset that cannot entertain the concept of despair or self-pity because if they did, it is entirely possible that life itself would become compromised. If the coyote was faced with an adversary, especially one that was a known predator, there would be no conversation or bargaining. No pleading or negotiating. Just an understanding that this encounter would be a crossroad, and one of them would either escape, or one of them would die. There was never a third option for either of them because in the world of the wild, a third option does not exist.

What the coyote does have, however, is a collection of core memories and genetic traits based purely on survival. These core memories will aid the pack in their encounters with challenges, and ultimately survival overall. Primitive instincts that remain intact, or physical features aiding in survival, are passed on from generation to generation. These traits will proliferate within a species and become a key factor as to how they remain a part of the world today. While the comparison to humans may seem like apples to oranges, it’s actually a lot more linear to our everyday lives than we may think. In fact, in some scenarios as humans it would be beneficial to reduce the margin of emotion and to exclusively focus on the primitive aspect of survival. This mindset is not strictly limited to a scenario involving physical survival, but rather a multitude of scenarios or encounters that will ultimately provide the individual with the means to press forward.

Michael Mann is one of my favorite directors and I have a unique appreciation for writers and directors who are able to capture the audience in such a way that it creates interpretation. In the movie “Collateral” there are two main characters. One is essentially predator, and the other, prey. There is a level of capture and evasion throughout the entire film. A feeling of sustained fear and also sustained control is palpable throughout the entire film depending on the optic of the viewer. During one particular scene, they essentially escape a very violent encounter. Vincent essentially saves the life of Max- an unexpected use of force from the predator to his prey. Within those same few minutes, however, Vincent also takes the possibility of escape away from Max with the use of violence.

After his escape was intentionally foiled, Max is then back to square one, and again, prey. As the two begin driving away there is a strange calm that washes over the two of them inside the car. There is no music. No climactic lighting. Just the night sky and the sound of the entire world sleeping while a small portion of the world burns. Then, almost as if the universe wanted to say hello, a coyote appears from the sidewalk and enters the roadway. The car comes to a stop and the two men watch, giving the animal the right of way. They watch the coyote negotiate an area so unfamiliar, yet it moves with intent. Almost as if it was supposed to be there. Almost as if negotiation or compromise of any kind was not an option, they simply must survive. There was no self-pity or concern for anything else other than to keep moving. Such is life for an animal in the wild, and such is life for us sometimes.
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In the grand scheme of things, some of us will never truly know what it’s like to live a life purely based on survival. We as humans are afforded this luxury. Even in scenarios where survival is our only focus, we are still provided with the concept of emotion, despair, and doubt. It is the fray where will learn how to prioritize our emotions and remove the concept of self-pity. It is in the fray where we will be introduced to a different version of ourselves. It is in the fray where we will learn how to be like the animal.