Dad's Rats

Before I was born Dad was involved with the nuclear bomb tests in Nevada. After I was born he worked in a lab that developed different technologies, like the radiation tags he invented for people who worked around radioactive material.  The lab also did various types of research with animals like dogs, pigs and rats.

Rats are excellent swimmers.

One of the experiments had to do with stamina. How long could a rat swim before it got so tired it would give up and sink?

Initial tests were exciting. The rats swam vigorously when first put in the tank of water. They swam and swam and swam until they got so tired their little front feet paddled just enough to keep their little noses poking out of the water, while the rest of their bodies sagged towards the bottom of the tank.

Eventually, of course, the rats sank at which point they were rescued from the bottom of the tank and put into their cages to recuperate.

But rats are not only good swimmers, they are smart. It didn't take them long to figure out they didn't need to expend energy and swim vigorously when first put into the water. Nope all they had to do was keep their little noses above water and they could stay afloat for a looooooooonnnnggggggggg time.

Thing is, the rats didn't leave it at that. They quickly realized that when they sank they got rescued. So, as soon as they were put into the tank of water, they didn't even bother swimming, they just sank!

Sometimes we need to be reminded that we may not have to struggle as vigorously as we often times do. Sometimes we should allow ourselves to sink in the sure and certain knowledge that we will be rescued.

I know it's happened to me. What about you? Have you ever let yourself sink only to find yourself suddenly rescued?