They told me,
”
It’s your job to clean and feed the new sheep in quarantine
today. Oh, by the way, keep an eye on the 200-pound ram. He seems
friendly, but you never know.
”
Shite! What do I know about how a rare-breed ram thinks?
They told me, “It’s your job to clean and feed the new sheep in quarantine today. Oh, by the way, keep an eye on the 200-pound ram. He seems friendly, but you never know.”
Shite! What do I know about how a rare-breed ram thinks?
My heart started thumping as my fellow zookeepers lined up on the fence to watch the encounter. I knew there was a good worker’s comp plan but how would I explain getting rammed into a barn to the claim’s adjustor? As with any new social situation previous, I gathered my tools and entered the enclosure with a friendly, high-pitched greeting through a plastered-on disarming smile. Every move the ram made sent an adrenaline rush through my shaking body. I kept my rear facing in the opposite direction of his massive horns, hoping to quickly clean and get out.
As with other animals under my care, I began to study the ram’s behavior and social interaction and noticed the other three sheep pen-mates kept a wary eye on the beast, also. Not a good sign. According to Daniel Goleman, author of Social Intelligence, the part of the brain called the amygdala helps us read nonverbal communication from others in order to then send messages to other parts of the brain to react or retreat. In human-to-human interaction, the dueling amygdala’s are actually reading each other. I’m not so sure it works with human-to-sheep interaction. In fact, I’m not even sure a rare-breed ram even has an amygdala; hence the apprehension.
Feeling a little like the knee-knocking zookeeper with the ram during the holiday dinners and gatherings with scary old Uncle Bill (or your grown sister, brother, cousin, aunt, mother or father)? Here’s a few tips to surviving the holidays and beyond.
No. 1: Smile and keep smiling, it will all be over soon. I told myself this during the birth of my children and it can work with the pains of family gatherings. Think of them all sitting around the table in their underwear (or, if you’re my family you may not have to imagine). Laugh at the obsurdity of it all. Laugh at the directions on the pumpkin can. Just laugh. The euphoric chemicals produced in your brain will help you through dinner conversation with your nephew’s college buddy who keeps staring at your nose ring.
No. 2: When the ram lowers his head to butt heads with you (i.e., anyone at the table starts to discuss politics or religion), feed him. Hay, alfalfa, pellets, yams, a second helping of mashed potatoes, coffee, anything to keep his mouth and brain active and not thinking about ramming you into the china cabinet.
Which brings us to tip No. 3: Seating arrangements. Be sure to seat yourself away from the barn (or china cabinet). Keeping a seat next to the escape kitchen works wonders for emotional time outs.
And finally tip No. 4: Read chapter 10 of Goleman’s Social Intelligence and the good news is the genes are not necessarily our destiny (looking across the table at Great Aunt Beatrice, and I bet you’re relieved).
Yesterday I entered the ram’s pen again. My heart beat a little slower and he approached me with what I perceived as a non-threatening gait and attitude. The ram nibbled on my rake handle then sauntered off to socialize with the other sheep. This rare-breed ram was taking a liking to me and me to him. I think I’ll invite Uncle Bill over for coffee next week. We have some more socializing to do.
The moral of the story: Forced socialization during the holidays may be a great way to practice and increase our social intelligence quotient.
Ciao for now.
Have an event coming up or a hot tip for Mary Anne? E-mail it to hi*********@************ch.com.
