Dignity

If you don't believe me, you should try it, but you really need to speak genuinely to the bug.

I've written before about not being able to kill spiders, or any living thing for that matter.
This week wasn't any different. One morning, about five days ago, Noah and I were rushing out the door when suddenly a small, nearly translucent bug scuttled past my shoes. I knew exactly what I was looking at, I've met his kind before; a yellow sac spider, a potentially mildly poisonous spider. One night during the summer, just as I laid my head down on the pillow, a yellow sack spider jumped onto my arm and sent me flying up in shock. Not wanting to repeat the "brown hobo spider incident" (see above), I quickly searched the bedsheets until I saw the guy racing up our wall. I then went to my computer and googled away until I found his identity. It didn't take long, yellowy, waxy, semi-translucent spider with billowy webs, it was indeed him.

So here I am, scared sac spider running around, it was twenty odd degrees outside and Noah and I were late. I knew if I threw the spider out my front door, it would mean certain bone chilling death. I also knew, if he ventured further into my home, he could bite, possibly giving us a reaction. I wanted to protect Noah and Jon, but my heart was also saying "No, I don't want to kill a living thing. All living things have inherent dignity, what gives me the right to kill?"

I did the only thing I knew to do. I set down our bags and sent Noah into the playroom. Then I herded the spider up the wall to eyes height and we had a quick "talk". In a calm, loving, honest tone I said to this yellow sac spider; "Look, I don't want to put you outside, it's freezing and you would surely die. I don't want to do that. I promise not hurt you if you don't hurt us, ok?"

And the odd thing was, that I kind of got the feeling he understood somehow. So I picked up our bags and Noah and I headed out. Three hours later we were home and the first thing I did was cautiously look around our vestibule for the spider. To my astonishment he was right where I left him, right there on the wall! "Thanks." I said to the guy. "See, I don't hurt you, you don't hurt me. It works!" Amazingly that little sac spider sat in that same place for four days straight, never entering our living space. Today I went to talk to him again on my way out, just to see how he was doing. It must have scared the guy because he ran up the wall a little higher and is still sitting up there.

I suppose the lesson learned is this, while it might seem strange and even foolish to some, that I can't bring myself to kill these insects, it says a lot out us, about our planet. Every living thing, big and small, is amazing and dignified in it's own way. Maybe if we stop and think about this, apply it to fellow human beings, it would solve most of our world's problems. Before you judge someone for not being like you, stop and think..... the atheist around the block, your gay brother, mailman Carl the communist, they all deserve dignity and respect.
The end.