We are not so different, you and I.
I often find myself contemplating the nature of insects. I have kept bees for a number of years you see, and have a “maybe not so normal” love for watching them. In watching them, I see them live and work in harmony and equity among and for each other. Instinct alone cannot account for the higher orders they possess. What makes small creatures work together for the common good? I will confess I do more than watch bees, I often wonder around after lines of ants out doing their duty, and other bugs that dot my little mountaintop.
Many times I have been taken aback by the simple fact that my body and the bodies of these tiny creatures are not so very different in size, when you take into consideration the whole of the cosmos. As you could imagine, it makes it hard for me to see them as pests in my garden… or home. I have wasted a great number of hours transporting carpenter ants… spiders… stink bugs (Freds… we call stink bugs Fred in my home) and alike to more appropriate living quarters than my own.
AAANNDDD now you think I’m silly, or childish, or maybe cute??? My parents have often brought to my attention that I have always been this way. As a child apparently I tried to rescue bugs from the entrapped state of exile, at bottom of our outhouse…. Which I do not remember…. honestly I can’t put it past myself. Why do I share such unflattering situations? I don’t know, if only to convey the sincerity of my own intentions I suppose.
Let’s get to the point.
What does unique mean to the likes of me? The older I get, the less I see humans as individuals. It’s like we are all coming together in my mind and forming one big cluster, or colony. When I was young, everything stood out. Tallents, habits, intentions, symmetry, asymmetry, and alike… all formed entire individuals, and I was astutely aware of the value system I held over them. This gave room for recognition that allowed me to ostracize or accept what occupied my relm. Can I just say that the world according to Samantha is not a very forgiving world. I am capable of harsh judgments, greed, envy, and pretty much every not so good thing imaginable if put in the right situation… particularly the judgment seat. So Inevitably… I ran away.
I found a plain of existence that separated me from what seemed divisive , cold and cruel. Competition, the desire to place oneself above or infront of all the rest. Why we glorify unique traits that set us apart seems unnecessary to me for some reason. Does an ant Show off his strength, or flexibility? Do bees care if their antennae are of equal length and well formed? Maybe… I will never know, but from where I sit, it seem silly to consider. The wholeness of a colony is beautiful. I love the equality of a hive. We all have a part, a purpose, and not one is greater than the other, they build off each other and depend on each other. As for unique… I would hate for anyone to stand alone. We are not so different, you and I.
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