Strategy

And although no Harvard scholar, our very own Chris Mas knows a thing or two about strategy. He demonstrates it every single day. Take hay distribution, for example.

Due to the extreme drought sweeping across much of southern Australia, we run hay out twice daily to Chris and his trusty sidekick, New Kid, to keep them happy, healthy and—thanks to Chris’s antics—us humans thoroughly entertained.

Here’s how Chris’s strategy plays out.

The hay arrives. It’s delivered either in the middle of the small paddock or along the fence line—Chris’s strategy, you see, is so brilliant it works anywhere. As soon as the human leaves (or even before, if hunger outpaces manners), Chris shuffles into position. A few rearrangements for maximum comfort, a satisfying flop—and there he is. Snack, er, smack, bang in the middle of the hay.

New Kid, ever hopeful, approaches for a snack.

But no.

With the swift pivot of a seasoned goal defence, Chris swings his head left and right, blocking every attempt New Kid makes. Each movement perfectly timed, perfectly planned.

But New Kid has a strategy too. And it’s equally foolproof.

He lifts his gaze, something goats are famous for, toward the Lady in the Hat, perched in her cabin. Once he’s sure he’s caught her eye, he flicks his own—pointedly, plaintively—toward the hay pile, now crowned with one very self-satisfied pig.

Message received.

New Kid settles in patiently, knowing help is on the way.

And sure enough, the Lady in the Hat comes to the rescue. She sets up a second hay pile, far enough from Chris’s territory to ensure peaceful snacking. Balance is restored.

Both Chris Mas and New Kid have found strategies that work—for survival, for friendship, for living well together.

Perhaps it’s time we humans took a lesson from them. Perhaps it’s time we developed our own strategy—for mercy, for connection, for a more harmonious world where every being has a place.
Oh wait, we already have one.

It’s called kindness.

Its success, however, depends on everyone’s buy-in. And it begins with one simple question:

Can the animals of this world count on yours?