Choosing Peace

THIS TRUE STORY was presented on NPR, by the wildlife researcher scientist who lived it and documented it. He was living in Yellowstone National Park, monitoring, observing, studying, researching packs of wolves. A large and powerful pack with a strong leader, Alpha Male #8, found an abandoned baby cub, doomed to die. The pack adopted the infant, and #8 raised it as his own son, raised him tenderly, lovingly. The two were very close for several years, a loving family. Eventually the stepson, given the number 21, grown up, big, and strong, left his father' pack to form his own pack, which became large and successful, and became a rival pack to number 8. One day the researcher watched the two packs sprinting en mass across fields, hills, and streams, towards each other from great distances, getting closer and closer to each other, obviously on their way to a pack versus pack showdown. By now wolf number 8 was old, and was losing speed, strength, and eyesight. But he was still the leader of his pack, and was out in front, leading his pack into battle. HIs step son, number twenty one, was also leading his pack, out in front, much bigger, stronger, younger than his step father. Horrified, the researcher knew exactly what would happen. The two packs would within minutes close upon each other, the two leaders would engage in battle, and the son would very quickly kill his step father. This was the absolute worst possible situation, the absolute worst possible way for the old father to bring is life to an end, worst possible way for this loving family to end; at the fangs of his own, beloved son. The researcher desperately tried to think of something, to think of a way to avoid this impending disaster, but could not. Maybe the son would take it easy on his father, and merely pin him to the ground in victory. No,, if that happened, the next in line would finish the job. Closer and closer the two charging armies got to each other, at full sprint now, howling, growling, ready for battle. Then, something amazing happened. The two packs collided, but didn't. The two leaders ran right past each other, in opposite directions, an only glanced at each other, in apparent recognitiion. The otehr members did the same; the two wolf packs flowed past and through each other, without any physical contact, or a single bite or scratch. Howling and barking and growling, they simply flowed, ran harmlessly past each other... The scene almost resembled a correographed group dance, so smoothly it proceeded. Both packs continued on their way, and rapidly put distance between them. This story seems amazing, the decision by both father and son simultaneously to avoid conflict, to instead choose non confrontation. The willingness of all the members of both wolf packs to abide by and imitate the decision. This immediately begs a question perhaps like no question has ever been begged before. A question the answer to which Rocky Balboa gave his new found Russian admirers immediately after barely surviving but winning a fight with a Russian boxing champion: "If you can change...and if I can change....everybody can change"!