Urge to 'merge'

Greetings!

On one of my cycling rounds at the edge of city, I was greeted by a huge flock of sheep on the country road. There was another (even bigger) flock at distance. To me it looked like this one had wandered off from (the bigger) flock.

There was no shepherd in sight and I stopped my bicycle in tracks and waited for these loitering sheep to make up their mind.

This group took few minutes to wander but looked like hesitant to disperse. Perhaps these sheep were waiting for the sound of their shepherd even to explore the lush grass on the side of road.

But there was no sound guiding them as the shepherd was not there.  I was curious now as to what would the sheep do? (Didn't have much else to do with sheep all around :-) )

Meanwhile the other flock had moved in a different direction but near enough for this flock to hear the tinkering sound of bells from the bigger flock.

My flock... (by now I had formed a great connect, as the sheep were in all directions around my bicycle and some fearlessly  observing the strange 2 wheeled contraption and the man wielding it.)

Anyway my flock... suddenly got animated and started moving together towards the other one. In few seconds the two flocks had become one!

Is this not a natural act? When left to ourselves, without a purpose guiding us, we too tend to just merge in social trends. Why is there an urge to 'merge' within us? Does it have its origins in our mammalian roots or in our mind that comforts in social alignment. Is it nature, nurture or something beyond that pulls the birds of a feather together?

Meanwhile, the shepherd of the flock emerged on top of the hillock. Uncharacteristic to shepherds, he just started running frantically towards the joined flock. The task of separating his sheep from the other flock had put its long shadow on his smarting face...



Sincerely Mine!
Anand Kulkarni 

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