I have been contemplating how very fast most species are able to move. Lions, cheetahs, wolves, horses, and even house cats, being predators, must have speed to match that of their prey. In fact, the expenditure of energy necessary, say for a lion, is so great that after they bring down a large gazelle, they must sleep for several days to recuperate. Birds of prey, as well as passerines, fly at phenomenal speeds that when combined with exceptional precision, allows them to snatch their meal in the blink of an eye. Flocks of starlings and schools of fish become as one, shifting and turning in dance-like movements. Mice skitter across the landscape and bats fly like jets through the night. Bees zip from flower to flower. All are in a rush to eat and reproduce the next generation within the duration of their lifespans. Snakes may appear to move slowly, slithering over rocks, but their strike is lightning fast. Human beings too, tend to run hither and yon, always rushing and hurrying somewhere, only to discover that they have suddenly grown old.
Turtles; however, are rarely in a rush. They move slowly and methodically and never seem to be in a hurry. Not surprisingly, they have one of the longest lifespans of any mammals. Jonathan, a tortoise living in the Seychelles Islands, has been recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records as being the oldest known living land animal. They suspect that he may actually be more than two centuries old! His eyesight is gone, but his hearing is still good. He is being cared for by a veterinarian to ease his future transition.
Due to their mild manner and unhurried motion, tortoises in general live anywhere from 80 to 150 years. Instead of looking for medical “miracles” to extend our human lives, what if we simply adopted a lifestyle more like that of turtles? If we slow down, taking each day as it comes, we may not only live longer; but we might enjoy good health while we are living our lives.
