This is what happens when I take a break from a long day of writing to take the dog for a walk. I find myself listening to the following lyrics from Fiona Apple and imagining she is talking about competing ecological strategies
Extraordinary Machine
I certainly haven’t been spreading myself around
I still only travel by foot and by foot, it’s a slow climb,
But I’m good at being uncomfortable, so
I can’t stop changing all the timeI notice that my opponent is always on the go
-And-
Won’t go slow, so’s not to focus, and I notice
He’ll hitch a ride with any guide, as long as
They go fast from whence he came
– But he’s no good at being uncomfortable, so
He can’t stop staying exactly the same
Clearly we have a generalist (first set of lyrics) versus a specialist (second set of lyrics)…Regardless, it is a great song.
