What do these things have in common? Running water, electricity, tennis shoes, grocery stores, and zoos. Sounds like a strange group, right? All of these things were regarded as modern conveniences at one time. However, they are all now considered normal parts of our everyday lives.
Sometimes we take things for granted. We don’t take them for granted on purpose; we just get used to having them around us. When is the last time that you really stopped to think about why we have zoos?
Have a child. Plain and simple. They restore the pure innocence that we all need.
We were having a family day at the zoo when our young son asked, “Where did that elephant and his Mom come from?” The short answer was, “Africa” but of course each short answer is followed with “Why?”
A zoo is a big house for animals. Each animal has a friend with him that looks just like him. There are houses at the zoo for all different types of animals from around the world. The zoo tries very hard to make the animals feel like they are at home. When they are at home, they are happy and relaxed. If it wasn’t for the zoo, most of us would never get to see these beautiful animals in person . Without zoos, we would only get to look at most animals in pictures and on TV. Zoos not only let us look all the animals; they let the people at the zoo learn about them and help keep them safe.
A satisfactory explanation for our son which earned us a smile.
Off to see the penguins!
Take a few moments each day and look at things through the eyes of a child. They look different, and give you a new appreciation. And always guaranteed to produce a smile.