I will admit it here, for all to view: I'm a sucker for magical thinking. Wishbones, rainbows, fortune cookies, and four-leaf clovers, of course...which are in fact, my specialty. I'm the uncontested Queen of finding them. I once sat sat in a patch and proceeded to pluck over two dozen.
This was the sunny morning after the rainy night that I skidded into a pile-up of 21 cars on the Whitestone Expressway and walked away without a scratch. My little Nissan Sentra looked like smashed soda can. After that experience, you might see more meaning in clovers, too. And only buy cars with anti-lock brakes.
I was cheered this morning to find a Lady Bug perched on the window sill of my daughter's bathroom. Few things say Spring to me louder than a tiny, red beetle. This one was only slightly larger than the head of a straight pin. As everyone knows, if you can manage the delicate matter, and remember the song, you can even wish on one.
Being not the least bit squeamish about bugs -- most of them, that is -- my general policy is "catch and release." This applies to spiders and many other crawling things. Except for moths, which I consider ferocious predators, as they munch on my best sweaters. (And why is the front and center of a sweater--the hardest part to mend -- always the tastiest spot? I might try to find out metime.)
As a gardener, I know that bugs have their job in the grand scheme of things and should not be judged on looks alone. I bet some of the slimiest worms and ickiest grubs look quite attractive to others of their kind.
While Lady Bugs can be purchased by the bag full at the gardening shop, they still strike me as rare and precious when spotted in the wild. Especially when spotted in my house. I consider this morning's visitor a very good sign, and one that cheered me.
I will not relate in detail the complicated method of trapping the fragile creature without harming it. Suffice to say I did. Then carried it out to the porch, gently coaxed it onto my hand -- sang the rhyme -- and made the wish. I can't tell you what I wished for. (That ruins the magic.) But it wasn't a wish for me. Some might think wishing is an irrational practice...at best. But I look upon it as just another expression of hope and positive expectation. And we all harbor some of that.
Physicists tells us that expectation does effect outcome. They see it all the time in experiments staged in their zillion dollar particle accelerators. I see it fairly often, too. Sometimes with the help of Lady Bugs and other signs from the universe.
(P.S. -- sorry I missed last week's post. Had a horrific cold and was too
soggy to be bloggy.)
This was the sunny morning after the rainy night that I skidded into a pile-up of 21 cars on the Whitestone Expressway and walked away without a scratch. My little Nissan Sentra looked like smashed soda can. After that experience, you might see more meaning in clovers, too. And only buy cars with anti-lock brakes.
I was cheered this morning to find a Lady Bug perched on the window sill of my daughter's bathroom. Few things say Spring to me louder than a tiny, red beetle. This one was only slightly larger than the head of a straight pin. As everyone knows, if you can manage the delicate matter, and remember the song, you can even wish on one.
Being not the least bit squeamish about bugs -- most of them, that is -- my general policy is "catch and release." This applies to spiders and many other crawling things. Except for moths, which I consider ferocious predators, as they munch on my best sweaters. (And why is the front and center of a sweater--the hardest part to mend -- always the tastiest spot? I might try to find out metime.)
As a gardener, I know that bugs have their job in the grand scheme of things and should not be judged on looks alone. I bet some of the slimiest worms and ickiest grubs look quite attractive to others of their kind.
While Lady Bugs can be purchased by the bag full at the gardening shop, they still strike me as rare and precious when spotted in the wild. Especially when spotted in my house. I consider this morning's visitor a very good sign, and one that cheered me.
I will not relate in detail the complicated method of trapping the fragile creature without harming it. Suffice to say I did. Then carried it out to the porch, gently coaxed it onto my hand -- sang the rhyme -- and made the wish. I can't tell you what I wished for. (That ruins the magic.) But it wasn't a wish for me. Some might think wishing is an irrational practice...at best. But I look upon it as just another expression of hope and positive expectation. And we all harbor some of that.
Physicists tells us that expectation does effect outcome. They see it all the time in experiments staged in their zillion dollar particle accelerators. I see it fairly often, too. Sometimes with the help of Lady Bugs and other signs from the universe. (P.S. -- sorry I missed last week's post. Had a horrific cold and was too
soggy to be bloggy.)
3 comments:
I always heard lady bugs were good luck... hope you had a lucky day!!!
I love magical thinking, too, Anne--although I admit that Lady Bugs don't top my list of favorite symbols. I love most creatures, but especially insects. Hope you're all better now.
I did have a good day, thanks. My cold is on the wane as well. No more excuses, now I have to get back to work. :)
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