Thursday, June 11, 2009

Life is a duck race

A few weeks ago, we watched a duck race in the Wye Valley. The ducks were emptied out of a big bag off the bridge at the same time, but at the finish a mile lower down, the winner was 20 minutes ahead of the second. Others had formed little groups and convoys, with stragglers and outliers.

Seems like a metaphor to me. The winner certainly didn't paddle any harder or smarter than the others. How much of a part does luck play in our lives?

5 comments:

AntiCitizenOne said...

So we should punish the "lucky"*?


Just because you can't say why the duck was faster doesn't mean it cheated!

James Higham said...

The ducks were emptied out of a big bag...

Eh? Wot, alive?

Sackerson said...

ACO: I didn't like the smug look on the winner's beak.

James: No species I recognised, but it could be a life-form that doesn't register on our phasers.

Paddington said...

Read the comment I made a few days ago about 'kismet'.

Sackerson said...

I had that in mind, too, Padders.