Once upon a time, in the sizzling heat of a Calabrian summer, I was just a young boy of 12. The temperature was so unbearable that I decided to forgo a trip to the beach and instead, found refuge in the shade of my hammock where I spent my days lounging and reading my favorite comic book.

One afternoon, as I lay there lost in the pages of my comic, I noticed a large flock of birds flying overhead. They moved as one, a black cloud shifting and changing shape before my eyes. I was mesmerized and couldn't tell if they were far off in the distance or close by. I sat up and squinted, shielding my eyes from the sun with my hand, trying to make sense of what I was seeing.

The birds hovered in the same spot, their formation constantly changing. Suddenly, one of the birds broke away from the flock, diving down with incredible speed. It was a raptor, a falcon, attacking the flock. The birds' formation grew denser, and I couldn't help but wonder, why didn't they scatter and flee?

It wasn't until much later that I learned the answer. The flock, big and united, confused the predator and defended itself by coordinating as a single entity. It was their only chance of survival. And it made me think, perhaps we too, should take a lesson from nature and come together in the face of adversity, rather than dividing ourselves. It just might be our only chance of survival as well.

Photo Rafael Garcin on Unsplash