If someone had told you they’d seen a tiny mouse take on a much larger and hungry leopard and win, you probably wouldn’t believe it. Yet that’s exactly what occurred at the Santago Rare Leopard Project in Hertfordshire, England. A student photographer was snapping shots of the leopard named Sheena as it walked over to where a small bit of food was lying on the ground. However, a miniscule mouse had gotten there first, and was busy tucking into it.
The mouse held its ground as Sheena tried to push the little thing away, and finally gave up and left the rodent to its well-deserved meal. This immediately put to my mind the concept of passive resistance, the technique of simply not giving in, while at the same time maintaining one’s own calm.
At the same time, it’s a reminder that not every bully has the power to back up his aggressiveness. Many times, aggression masks fear, and the bully uses that to his advantage. But if just one person stands up for himself, that fear can be exposed, and made an example of.
As my son moves into kindergarten this Autumn, I worry that he’ll fall victim to those older and larger than he is, who are used to having their way by picking on the new students. I hope that he won’t; he’s one of those kids who, like I was at his age, so unassuming that he doesn’t make an interesting target. But you never know. And though he’s learning karate and jiu-jitsu, I want him to know that he should always stand up for his rights, and that that doesn’t always mean having to use force to do so.
Let’s put an end to the politics of fear and power, and teach our children a better way.
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