A few days ago, I promised to tell this story. Been procrastinating for a while, so let's get to it. #thread
So, my mentor was pursuing his PhD at the Obafemi Awolowo University a while back & one day, since he had an hour to burn before class, he took a stroll around the campus. He ended up at the zoo just about the time the zookeepers were preparing to fee the python. He asked to see.
He followed the zookeepers to the python's cage and there he saw the snake coiled up on the tree in the cage. It didn't move. Not even when the zookeepers threw in the live fat hen into the cage. For a few seconds, the hen was oblivious to the presence of Mr Python. Life was rosy
Suddenly, the hen looks up and sees the python. All hell breaks lose! Hen knows it's in mortal danger and starts thrashing violently, flapping its wings and rattling against the cages to escape. It was quite a raucous. All this time, Mr Python was zen. Didn't move a muscle.
This went on for about 30 mins and my mentor was getting late for class, so he asked, "Are you sure this snake is hungry?!" The zookeepers replied in the affirmative, explaining that the python hadn't been feed in days, so it was quite hungry. Perplexed, my mentor asked again...
"So, why won't it eat?! I here for the action." The zookeepers told him to be patient. He explained that he had a class to get to and that it would last an hour. They told him to go and return, promising he would not miss the show. He went and returned just over an hour later.
When he returned, python still hadn't moved from that spot. It looked frozen in place. Hen, on the other hand, had run out of energy and was quiet in one corner. My mentor sat and kept watching. He must have thought, "Dis feem, I must watch am finish today! Ni'bi lamaa kusi!"
In a flash, it was done. Very violently & very unexpectedly, the python moved and, in a hail of feathers, the hen was no more. Mentor says from the moment the snake moves to when the hen was constricted & swallowed, 20 secs hardly passed. It was that fast & the show was over.
So, why didn't the python move all the while? Well, turns out the snake had learnt, through experience, that wasting his energy chasing the meal was counterproductive. Yes, it was hungry but he had learnt that patience saves energy and makes the meal more enjoyable.
This story has taught me how strategy and patience is vital to winning. Why run around when you can use that time to be more prepared for the kill? Timing is everything. Cheers
