Twenty years ago, we remodeled our kitchen—taking in part of the asymmetric den, all of the outside patio, adding a bathroom, and enlarging the laundry room. We discovered some unexpected “neighbors.” Chipmunks. The aging, undulating patio was paved with brick overlaying a sand base. Over the years, chipmunks had created a labyrinthine mass of trails; shall I say chipmunk village?
Since we had only recently moved into this house, we had not experienced chipmunks bothering us. Their scurrying across the yard was actually endearing. Our construction was dramatic; we needed to remove their entire playground, so they relocated themselves. Having lived in South Georgia all my life—surrounded by Pine trees, I seldom saw chipmunks. Now I was hearing stories of how annoying chipmunks can be.
Speaking of bothersome chipmunks, recently, while listening to Christmas music, I heard “Alvin, and the Chipmunks.” It opened another window to how annoying they ca be—(but I still think they are cute!) You may be old enough remember that raucous song, “Christmas Don’t Be Late” by David Seville and the Chipmunks from the late 1950’s. The recording featured a sound distortion depicting the misbehaving Alvin. The distortion was created by recording the song at half the speed; then over-recording at regular speed.
The days leading up to Christmas—-parties, shopping, friends and family gatherings, and preparing for the visit of Santa Claus—tend to create stress, on many levels. As much as Alvin and the Chipmunks may annoy you, they do give you a chance for comic relief, as you identify with David Seville and his dealing with “Alvin… ALVIN! Very likely, one of the common New Years Resolutions is “Next year, I will plan more carefully and not clutter my days.”
Chipmunks, one of God’s creatures, are of Canadian origin (often called “Red Squirrels” or “Striped Squirrels”), They play vital roles in our ecology. For one, they gather, store, and scatter seedlings; they are virtual farmers. They are also valuable for consuming fungi, in a significant role in the symbiotic relationship of tree root systems.
Usually, humans become annoyed by God’s creatures when they make our lives inconvenient, or they hinder (sometimes destroying) our daily lives. But it is we who have moved in on their natural habitat. All living creatures play a role in the natural world, albeit sometimes inconvenient to their human neighbors. All the way from The Old Farmer’s Almanac to University classrooms/laboratories, reliable, beneficial means of beneficial coexistence by humans and animals are studied.
The old Prophet, Isaiah had a vision of “The Peaceable Kingdom;” He was convinced that it is possible. Although overly romanticized, the world of Native Americans did make a lot of progress in this area; as did other civilizations. If you listen you can glean stories of families, tribes, and assorted groups being good stewards; putting to maximum use the produce of the land. The fathers of the Faith heard and passed on to generations, the intention of God’ The purpose of all Creation is to live together in harmony, benefitting from our common connectedness.
So Alvin & company, enjoy your sorties into lawns and forests! We’ll learn to live in harmony, living into the Peaceable Kingdom.
©Copyright Willis H. Moore 2022
We sometime forget that the lower class animals are creatures of God too. We rake havoc on their lives and criticize those who appear to overly care for them. We call them “Animal Lovers.” I sometimes wonder if we would treat each better if we were called “Human Lovers.”