I was driving to work today and just before I got on the freeway, I noticed this grasshopper hanging on to the outside of my drivers side window. I was at a stop light and I just looked at him. I don't like grasshoppers. I think they are really ugly and they creep me out, because when they jump on you, their legs stick to your skin. It makes me feel like they have attached themselves to me and ... ewwwwww!!!!!!!! Anyway, I sat there looking at this grasshopper and he looked back at me. I knew the minute I got on the freeway that he would be blown right off and would eventually land on someone's windshield or grill and would be squashed. My first thought was that there wasn't anything I could do and this was just what happened to stupid bugs. Then I thought about opening up my window and letting him stay in the cab with me, but that was way too creepy to follow through with. At last, I realized that I could pull over and flick him to a patch of grass. I could have sworn that he looked at me and was trying to communicate something. He seemed satisfied enough when I finally pulled over, because the minute I rolled down my window, he jumped to the safety of the grass.
I don't know what caused me to have such sympathy for this bug, especially when I usually react with a scream. I saw a cockroach this morning on his back and knew he'd been there since the night before, only I saw his feet move this morning. I just left him there. I shut my mind to the fact that he was trying to live and would probably die after a long struggle. Now... I feel guilty. Why is it ok for bugs to suffer and die? Why don't we consider their lives valuable too? I must be stuck in the mindset of a 3 year old, because some days I can't grasp where to draw the line. Alive is alive. It's something that has bothered me for a very long time. I committed mass murder of several hundred Box Elder bugs. What did they ever do to me?
5 comments:
haha. I will never forget your butterfly theory. If I were an animal (or a bug) Id want you to be my owner
I went back and turned the cockroach over, but he didn't want to live. He turned himself over again and died. Which.. you know.. cockroaches are really, REALLY creepy, so at least I have a clear conscience about it. It's not an indoor one, just an outside one, but still... ICK!!! Poor bugs.
I have the same dilemma. I think I would have done the same thing to the grasshopper if he made eye contact with me too. Grasshoppers are so creepy!!! I always save drowning ants and other little bugs from the water. If I can I will take them outside but spiders are dead if they are caught in my house. I have no tolerance for them and earwigs. I hate ear wigs and mosquitos they are annoying. Anyways there you go.
hi,
Similar interests, mutual respect and strong attachment with each other are what friends share between each other. These are just the general traits of a friendship.
To experience what is friendship, one must have true friends, who are indeed rare treasure.
I have added you to my blogroll, hope you can do the same thing for me so that we can have constant communication.
At least once a week I see a roach, cricket or an earwig crawling across the floor. I usually smash them if I can... but ironically it makes me think of your bug sympathy and what my Mom taught me when I was a kid... that bugs were people... at least she gave them people feelings.
Sympathy is not my strong suit. Sara is a sympathy communicator and I am more analytical. Of course, we both want each other to communicate the opposite... but maybe being sympathetic to bugs could help my endeavor?
However, I killed a scorpion the other day... and a black window too. I guess I can't justify letting them live... knowing the potential threat they create... so maybe I'll just continue to kill all bugs.
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