I am the Sloth

How many of you have played that “Sloth in Space” app game on your iPhone where the weirdo- looking sloth always manages to disappoint and surprise while he travels on his rocket ship through space and time, usually wearing a rather colorful scarf?

I have -- dozens (ok, hundreds) of times. 

So I read with interest the article in today’s Science Section of The New York Times, “The Sloth’s Busy Inner Life.” It seems that three-toed sloths have a lot more going on than barreling through the galaxy:  A species of moth lives exclusively in their fleece (e.g., fur) and, to make matters more interesting, a species of algae also grows in “special channels in the sloth’s grooved hairs.”

In other words, the sloth is “not so much an animal as it is an ecosystem.”  That’s a lot of responsibility for an animal that’s generally thought of as being lazy.

Now, I’m not going to get into the disgusting details (unless you’re a sloth) about how and why the moths live in the sloth’s fleece, or the camouflage provided by the algae from the risks of attacks by jaguars and the harpy eagle, whatever the hell that is.  Suffice to say, sloths think they have a good thing going on, like their lifestyle and are willing to take acceptable risks from time to time in order to maintain it despite wild beasts and birds of prey – even if they do approach things a tad slowly.

The sloth and I have a lot in common.  Like the sloth when it’s groomed, my “moths” – kids or work tasks, chores or meals or chauffeuring requests – reveal themselves every minute of the day it seems, demanding my attention.   Plus, I’d like to think my self-protective algae (a little bit of attitude) projects the confidence, charm or detachment required for keeping more challenging members of our human species at bay if they're not already in the palm of my hand.  (As if.)

I am the Sloth, coo-coo-ca-choo. 

Indeed, the inner life of the sloth serves as a useful reminder of what’s important to me at this particular moment in my life.  Just like this odd creature, I may not be living large but I’ve got a pretty good ecosystem going and I’ve slowed things down just enough to enjoy it.  Here’s hoping your taking the time you need to enjoy your ecosystem, too.