A World of Ranking


Is there really an order of importance in the large world of animals and insects? The lions worth is no greater than the anteater. Similar to many animals the opossum in undervalued when compared to the rest of the earths wildlife. It has a white face that appears ghostly when the sun has finally fallen. It has 50 teeth, which is superior to any other North American mammal and about the same amount as a tyrannosaurus rex. Conclusions can be made that the opossum is an extremely dumb and useless animal, but the reality to that statement is quite the contrary. They are actually quite intelligent and fulfill their own role. A few years ago multiple task tests were conducted with different species of animals. When it came time for these creatures to take their turn they performed with flying colors. They ranked above dogs and are assumed to be in the same realm of intelligence as pigs.

Opposums may seem dumb like a child who has very little understanding. When it is just the human perception that is incorrect. The Opossum is the farthest thing from a wide-eyed kid at a candy store, it is specific and knows what it wants and how it will get it. It will hunt for rats, mice, insects, and slugs. They're not given the proper respect in their ecosystem for the impressive talents they possess, they have the amazing self-awareness when they're in a drastic situation to know that they must go to extreme measures. The opossum will "play dead" and lie still and stiff. The movement of their chest moving up and down is invisible to the naked eye and it will release signs of recent death to its predators. A liquid that appears darker than a summer night will slowly ooze from its mouth terrifying enough to scare any one away. This animal sleeps 20 hours a day and is said to dream 15 out of those 20 rejuvenating hours. Their flexible diet and reproductive method allow them to thrive in many diverse conditions that they can be thrown into.

The zookeeper told me that they didn't keep any at the zoo because "they were worthless and lazy like the sloths," which really hit a note inside me like an old rusty piano played for the first time in 10 years. I had been dreaming a lot lately, similar to the opossums incredible slumber pattern. The dreams were giving me new looks on the world and everything that happened in it. I felt as if I possessed a third-person omniscient view that allowed me to see all the flaws in my society.

There was one reoccurring scene that happened on many of these nights that kept tugging at my conscience for some reason I was unaware of. It was Christmas time in a place that seemed to be 10 to 15 minutes out of the city in New York. The Principal was walking into school in his brown coat with his coffee mug and a brown paper bag in his right hand. As he brushed the snow off his black boots and made his way into his warm homely office he set the bag down and yells to his assistant to gather the teachers in the conference room. This is the last day of school before winter break so he has planned to give all the teachers a variety of lovely gifts in the christmas spirit because of all the work they do for the kids. While I see these teachers as being deserving of these gifts I see the principal as being selective.

As these gifts are given I also see a janitor who is walking by the conference room and peeking through the window with a look of sorrow on his face. He is sweeping the floor for these children, but receives no recognition. He is cleaning the classrooms for these students to prevent illnesses, yet he doesn't feel appreciated. He knows that he helps with these children in his own way just as well as the teachers, but he feels like he does not belong. After I feel this rush of emotions I always awake with a bit of anger towards the principal. Although, the principal is not the only one feeling my wrath, it is also towards our entire society.

The principal has been favoring the teachers all along when really he really needed to widen his horizons and see how other people fill vital roles. The janitors, the coaches, the lunch clerks also should have been given some type of gift for their efforts if the teachers were also going to receive one.

The opossum is very similar to the janitor in the manner on how they are undervalued. The opossum receives no respect in the animal kingdom. They are often deemed to be dumb and worthless, but these who judge opossums in this manner are a criminal of false assumptions. The principal in my dreams is also a criminal of false assumptions. He only sees reasons to give the teachers gifts but not the other sections of the school staff which are equally important in their own ways and which role they play in the building. Everyone fills their own roles and should be equally appreciated. Now it is just a matter if we as a human race can find these roles and broaden our horizons to appreciate everyone and efface the idea of human ranking from the face of the earth.