I engaged myself in their tiny ant world and found myself reluctant to return to my own. Under a tall sweet gum tree I laid down on my belly to observe them last Sunday morning. There was an injured ant near the foot of the tree and I was amazed at the attention the helpless creature received from his fellows. I know a great amount of studies were done on ants and I'm sure that my own observations will appear silly to an expert. Nevertheless I know what I saw and I am still impressed. I watched many passing ants interact with their injured friend who was no doubt stepped on by a passerby. There was a genuine concern for their hurt brother or sister. I believe that they were attempting to do what they could to get him back on his feet. I wondered why Nature would go through such detail in creating such animals and I wondered also how important a place could they have on the planet. Presently I was distracted by the loud obnoxious sound of a powerboat out on the Hudson River. I made out some of the occupants on the stocky vessel. At the same time a handful of jet-ski riders skipped up the river in the opposite direction of the boat. I compared the activities of the human pleasure seekers on the river to the activities of the few ants under my lens. These are just ants, I thought. And out there are human beings who owned houses and cars and large bank accounts. They had Social Security numbers assigned to them and they can vote and throw big parties and even become leaders of masses of other human beings. But here before me were ants--always busy and forever determined to get someplace or the other to do whatever they do. However as fascinating as they may be, none of these amazing creatures can operate a jet-ski or powerboat for that matter. I thought for long moments of who was worth more to the planet. I did my best to ignore my personal biasness. I believe I did manage to overcome any partiality I carried as I continued to ponder the question I put to myself. I tried to imagine what the earth would consider if it had to assess the usefulness of the two--ants and jet-skier/powerboater/leader/partyer/even amateur ant photographer. It was an unworthy question to ask I‘m sure, especially since the earth sustains a diverse array of life forms for good reason. The answer nevertheless, may have been silently delivered to me as my mind wandered away, for suddenly I found myself desperately veering all my attention to the business of the ants. All images taken in Riverside Park - Sunday August 15, 2010. newitem200731963