>>7926610… Of course, that was way back when! Nowadays, bunnies don’t have to be farmers, and they have no lords demanding crop tithes! They can go to Zootopia and become their own buns! They can move to the city and be anything they want, like a coffee stand saleswoman or a gardener or an unpaid volunteer counsellor for bunnies who are depressed because they moved to the city…
Look, the stereotype is true: bunnies, traditionally, don’t leave the burrow. When they do come to the city, they’re leaving all they knew behind them-- not just their old home and family, but their history and culture. Winter in the city can be especially harsh and bring up a lot of complex emotions: shame for not living up to family expectations; guilt for not contributing to the family workload; but the worst is feeling alone, living solo and missing the big, bustling burrow with hearty food and cheerful music and group dancing and hoppy beers and a bedtime story before you sleep that you once knew.
Ever hear the joke that bunnies move out of Zootopia during the winter because they’re worried their ears’ll freeze? It started as a rabbit’s way to save face in front of others-- a ‘cute’ bunny admitting they’re lonely can be interpreted in ways that invite a lot of unwanted degrading remarks-- and other mammals started saying it as a jab at rabbit intelligence. Before Judy Hopps, the climate in Zootopia was rather chilly for bunnies.
But just as winter can be a time for tragedy, hardships and sorrow, it can also be a time of great warmth. Some of my favorite moments of my winter were spent with all of you.
Thanks for keeping me warm, everyone.
