Velociraptors

The velociraptor seems to universally captivate kids in ways that not even the mighty tyrannosaurus rex cannot.

I think it’s because the velociraptor’s hunting style seems to most closely resemble the hunting techniques of ancient humans. Yet the velociraptors are vastly superior to the human with their massive talons and incredible speed. And worse yet! They’re intelligent to boot.

The velociraptor reminds me of the movie Predator, in which the imperial American soldiers find themselves hunted by a superior alien being… something faster, smarter, and stronger than themselves. The only thing that could scare these military men is a being that’s exactly like them, but more powerful (this is when the hunters become the hunted).

The Tyrannosaurus Rex is pure and raw power, the Goliath to the velociraptor’s David. But unlike David, the Velociraptors come equipped with teeth capable of piercing bone and claws capable of tearing through cinder blocks.

The first soccer team I joined as a kid allowed the team to decide the team name. We unanimously wanted to be called the “Running Raptors”. Unconsciously, we may have been looking to the past, our evolution embedded with our desires to be the greatest possible entity. We humans learned to hunt via the run, after all, and there, the velociraptor, was the greatest of hunters.

A corny team name, but cool!

When I taught in China, I used to talk before and after class with one of the 4th grade boys. His English name was Tony. With his limited English, we focused on discussing the things that mattered in life: dinosaurs. Jurassic Park was his favorite film (it’s on my list too) and he’d use his passion for dinosaurs to communicate why the velociraptor was his favorite.

”They are so smart, fast, and they work together when they hunt.” (Whether they actually worked in packs is subject to debate). So they were us, but better. Could such a thing exist?

I hope Tony didn’t watch Jurassic Park 2. It’s a very crappy film. So is part 3. So are all of them except the first, which managed to accurately capture the park through the eyes of a child and convey that same sense of wonder.

I have this picture that Tony drew me. It’s a reminder that you can still see velociraptors every day. Go outside and look at the birds. You live in Jurassic Park.

It’s also a reminder that you can choose to be happy today. You don’t have to wait for it to hit you.