FAINTING GOATS

fainting goat

Hey, how about those fainting goats?   Ever thought of them?  Yeah I haven't either.  I didn’t even know they existed until I saw a video and instantly fell in love.

 

What kind of cute little creatures keep falling down only to rise ten seconds later and take on the world and its problems again.  Are they for real?  I wondered.  With a sensible case of skepticism, concern, and natural curiosity, I started checking them out.

Smaller than the average goat—whatever that means— they plop on their backs and sides whenever they start feeling panicked.

No need for Zoloft or a quick dose of Valium.  Fainting goats do better than that.  They come with all kinds of facial features, but no matter if their ears press up or flop down, they all take a natural break whenever they feel the slightest twinge of pressure.

The slightest twinge.  
Wow.  What a convenient way to live.           

floppy ears

 Without losing consciousness, these guys drop to the ground and instantly remove themselves from the frantic pace of the modern world.  And no one knows why.  
Maybe they instinctively create their own tension, like clocking in and out of the job or worrying about picking up their kids on time.    
I know employers aren't crazy about them, disapproving of the continual work stoppage while watching their employees rise and fall like a bunch of pogo sticks high on crack cocaine. 
But I guess the White House isn't getting any calls,

up ears

so everyone's cool.   

Yet think a moment.   Isn’t this exactly what we all want to do—drop out from the world—from the bullies, from the irate customers,  from the hyperactive kids, if only for a minute, if only for a second or two.

You know, on second thought it's not a bad way to live.   Could even be a dream come true.