I've been thinking about squirrels lately; they're interesting little creatures. Recently, I learned that these little rodents were actually introduced to major cities in order to "create pockets of peace and calm" in an otherwise hectic life. This tiny creature (and Kentucky's state wild animal) has the opposite effect on my dog, who is tormented by the one who has made it's home in the locust tree in my backyard. Despite the penchant for canine harassment, the gray squirrel contributes a lot to it's ecosystem; biologists suggest they might be responsible for thousands of trees being planted each year from where they hide their nuts and forget about them.
The Red Squirrel, however, isn't quite as helpful as its Kentucky cousin; these squirrels hoard their food in large piles, out of sight, and out of light, causing the forgotten, uneated cache to never reach germination--seeds that will never become trees.
We have to stop being like the red squirrel. It's too easy to fall into the traps where we hoard our ideas out of fear of losing ownership--or perhaps more importantly, credit. If we don't break the cycle, our ideas will neither grow, nor serve us or our communities in any real or meaningful way. We MUST commit to the process of transparency and sharing so we can grow together.
