The Oddity Of The Bug

when I was 6, not so long ago, I loved bugs.

every school break, I would find myself in the schoolyard, looking for the finest bugs I could find...

and spoiling then rotten- I built them houses with little chais, and gardens, full of lush greenery , and large ” swimming pools”- which I used , every so often ,by taking a handful of bugs, And shoving them into the water, letting them “swim around” as much as they could.

it took me at least another two years to realize that by putting said bugs in my “swimming pool” , I was killing them. But I still loved bugs. I wanted to avoid hurting them.

I no longer made “swimming pools” for little bugs . Instead , I invested myself into learning . Learning-as much as I could -about them.

I loved it .

I discovered , for example, that ants- had whole kingdoms underground!They had queens and warriors, and could even carry food much heavier than their weight! I read in awe ,as I discovered the many wonders of the bugs .I loved them. like a child would love his dog , cat, or maybe even his best friend.

but as I grew older, more kids around me became afraid of bugs. It baffled me. they would torture them, unstoppably, and if I couldn’t rescue the bugs-they died within seconds.

i remember , in the third grade , I slapped a girl- because she was killing ladybugs. I was never naughty at school- So this was a shocking occurance.

when My teacher realized why I did it, she praisend me.

i wasn’t proud.

since then , I only wished for an antidote to hatered. To cruety. I wished there was a pill that others could take, that Would transport them into the amazing world of bugs , and then, they would love them- Just as I loved them. And they wouldn’t be killed. In a way, that dream never faded. And, as much as i can, I try to be my own antidote. By teaching, or learning, wherever I can.