AKA
A sappy story with a happy ending
AKA
An update on the Karma Project
Photo courtesy of Mike_tn
The other night I opened the door to let the dog out and in flew something rather large.
The rather large thing buzzed around the room so quickly that we couldn’t see it. We could only hear it as it buzzed and thunked here and there against a wall, the ceiling, the TV, the light.
“Woman: What. Did. You. Just. Let. In. Our. House?” my husband teased.
“It has to be a cicada,” I said.
I’ve always felt sorry for cicadas because they live for years underground, but only a few weeks above ground in what must— to them—seem like heaven. And now I had one of the poor buggers stuck in my house. The little thing must have felt as if he had just found his freedom, and then wham! It had been taken away and now he was suddenly trapped in a box.
The thing buzzed right by my ear.
“Ewww,” I said as I shook my body in a spaghetti dance. “It almost flew into me! Eww. Eww. Eww!”
My husband stood, stuck his chest out and said in a low, confident voice, “I’ll take care of it.”
He bent over and picked up a book.
“No! No! No! No!” I yelled as I saw him raise his arm.
“What?” he shouted as his arm came forward, bringing the book against the wall and the cicada, creating a sickening crunching and oozing sound.
“Oh, God, I think I’m going to throw up,” I said.
“What? It’s just a bug.”
I sat on the couch, my head in my hands.
“I was reading that book, and now it has cicada guts on it,” I said.
“Oh, sorry,” he said. He wiped the book off on his shirt and then he handed it to me. The book, by the way, just so happened to be Ann Rule’s The Stranger Beside Me—the true crime thriller about serial killer Ted Bundy. Symbolic don’t you think?
“Plus I’m not supposed to kill bugs. It’s bad for my Karma. I’ve been trying not to kill bugs.”
“But you didn’t kill it. I did,” he said.
“I could have gotten it out the door. It wasn’t doing anything wrong. The poor thing. It was probably scared out of its little mind. All I had to do was open the door and shoo it out. Oh man. I feel like a baby just died. I’m going to lie down now.”
He stared at me. I assumed he was thinking something along the lines of, “My wife is a total fruit cake.” He picked up the remote and got sucked into the TV.
Feeling black and sooty inside, I said a prayer for the little cicada. I prayed for forgiveness, too. I pledged to do not one good deed the following day, but three.
And then I noticed my husband doing something really odd. He was walking slowly across the room in a half bent over position. He had a piece of paper in one hand. I noticed a small black thing on the carpet, and it was moving.
He scooped the small black thing—a beetle—onto the piece of paper, opened the door, and gently deposited it onto the outdoor patio. He closed the door, stood and stared at me with one of the proudest smiles I’ve ever seen.
I stood, I hugged him, and I said, “I totally love you.”
Copyright 2010 Project Happily Ever After
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{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
I love him, too. Especially after seeing him on TV! I’m the exact same way about all bugs but wasps. I killed two this morning that were in our house. Actually one wasp, one yellow jacket. I feel bad, but it was self-defense. And my kids jumped up and down and shouted, ‘You saved our lives!’ – Our family has a strict ‘no bug/spider’ killing policy. But this was something else entirely.
(Right? Or am I just justifying here…)
That is such a sweet story. The only bug that I try to save are lady bugs. Anything that can bite has to go.
Julie–I think that would fall into “the greater good.”
Alisa Bowman´s last [type] ..How to Deal with Control Issues
I feel like I’ve met a fellow freak.
We have a busy catch-and-release program at our house – everything from moths to beetles to spiders and even those pesky hornets (though, under duress and in self-defense, I have been known to take out a few stinging buggers with my “slipper of death”).
I had a quietly amazing bug experience on the beach a few weeks ago, I plan to write a post about it, but the quick version is this: I rescued a rather large moth from the incoming tide. He was soggy and bedraggled and so I let him hang out on the cuff of my sweatshirt as I continued my walk. I figured he’d just fly off, but he stayed there … for over an hour. As he dried in the morning sun, he actually started to look kind of cute (moths aren’t usually my favorite … kind of creepy).
He stayed with me all that time, but the most amazing thing was that when I strode back into the parking lot and neared my car, I swear he perked up the way a puppy does when he knows he’s going for a ride. Instead of joining me in the car, however, he did a quick, little dance on the sleeve of my shirt and then flew directly into a nearby honey locust. I think he may have waved good-bye.
Each life is precious in some way & the loss of any life is a loss to all.
Loved your post. Your hubby rocks.
Suddenly Jamie´s last [type] ..Happy- Quiet Moments- New Friends- Adventure
Unfortunatly my 2 cats make saving the bugs kinda tough. Honestly I think they could work for terminex
Great post Alisa. Sorry I’ve been away for a while. My beloved has been pretty sick. She had gotten a little better for a while. But this is just the way it is. Good times & bad times. Just makes us appreciate the good ones that much more.
Also thanks so very much to those who sent some help. We couldn’t have made it without it. Thanks so much also for all the prayers, well wishes & positive thoughts from everybody. I meant to say this much earlier but have been swamped with work & caregiving. So to everybody………. YOU ROCK
Happy Labor Day Weekend to everybody
Ron
Drummer Guy–Welcome back! I was thinking about you. Glad things are basically okay (within reason). Happy Labor Day to you.
I found a cockroach on my entryway floor last night and I have to admit, I crushed it. Ew! I don’t like bugs or flies or spiders….but if I know it’s not deadly–and not a cockroach–I’ll usually capture it and put it outside. We have a TON of cockroaches in Vegas though–they’re on the ground when you walk and no matter how clean we try and keep our place, sometimes, they just get in. I know there are a 100 more where that one came from so I honestly don’t feel too bad about killing one when I see one. That being said, my husband is a HUGE acarcniphobic–deathly afraid of spiders–so I HAVE to deal with them. Like I said, if I know it’s not deadly (a Black Widow or Daddy Long Legs) I’ll get it and put it out. But if it comes down to me dying or them, yeah, sorry, it’s gonna be them! This is a great story though, and so well told. I believe in kindness to all creatures, but I also believe that I’m near the top of the food chain for a reason. Welcome back, Ron, and I agree–I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe, fun Labor Day weekend!
Many Blessings,
-Sarah Liz
We had a couple of cicada “attacks” lately. The first flew in the doghouse that we were building in our garage and dear husband tried to catch it while I hid in the house. He eventually gave up and tried to smash it but since it was so big it felt wrong to kill it especially with the noise it was making, but by then he hurt it too much to fly and scooped it up for the outside. Then a couple days later we were letting the dogs out and one flew in the house (deja vu?). The dog caught it and it was buzzing in her mouth while she went into the living room with her prize. We had the intention of not killing this one, but the dog wounded it before she released it. Dear husband put a cup over it and went back outside to talk on the phone, so I had to pick it up and take it outside. His excuse is he was going to get it after he talked on the phone and didn’t think I would be brave enough to move it myself.
I hate bugs, especially spiders, but I’m usually brave enough to take care of them myself. Unless the husband is around, then I play damsel in distress so he gets to feel like he takes care of me. He likes it, actually. When we first got married he told me I’m not allowed to open jars, because he likes to do it for me, showing off his strength and all.
Glad to see you back Drummer guy (Ron) I hope your beloved is feeling better.
How ironic I was just killing a fly. Sorry. I think I am so used to killing these bugs I really never thought about it before. Great post I will now think twice before killing bugs well except for bees I am allergic and was stung twice this year. the epi pen hurts more than the bee sting. lol!
Sarah Liz, our husband’s must be related. I swear a young girl has moved into our house whenever my hubby sees a spider.
We’ve been over this area before. All non-pets must stay at least 25 feet from the perimeter of my house. Just the way I am. I have opposing thumbs, I rule my environment.
And based on the number of bites I get from various bugs, they aren’t following the rules and I’m not finding all of them. So, I’m getting my Karma nearly on a daily basis. There must have been a spider on my couch today, because I have one heck of a huge bite on the backside of my knee.
Martyna, beware of your husband opening jars for you. My hubby had the same “rules” when we got married – he’d do all the heavy lifting and manly stuff. Well, my arms have gotten completely messed up. One, I tore the rotator cuff and wasn’t allowed to use it for three months to avoid surgery. The other one got calcium deposits and hurt almost as bad as the torn rotator cuff, also wasn’t allowed to use it for the same three months. Do you know how hard it is to do anything, when you can’t use either arm? Yes, I hired help to do my dishes, carry and unload my groceries (no, I wasn’t allowed to lift a gallon of milk or lift anything over 1 – 2 pounds higher than my head), do my laundry, etc. I could still wash my own hair (barely) and hubby usually had to get my over-the-head shirts off of me, since it hurt too much to do it myself. I’m all better now (that was last summer) and work with a personal trainer to get the strength and definition back in my arms. Note: I’m not certain that all this happened because my hubby “wouldn’t” let me lift. But before all that, I was seriously strong and had no issues with my arms. So keep using those arms, at least when your husband isn’t around.
That’s true love <3<3<3
Our felines bring cicadas in by the dozen. Most get saved. Primarily by me, but I don’t have a Bug Thing. Good man though. Good man.
Frugal Kiwi´s last [type] ..DIY Emergency Survival Kit
While I support your non-bug-killing ways and applaud your husband… I recall from a previous post that you eat meat, don’t you? I admit I’m a little mystified at the code of ethics that prevents you from killing bugs, but not from killing and eating almost 100 animals a year. You don’t have to explain or justify it to me, it’s your choice, I’m just a little puzzled by it in comparison to the nonviolence and compassion you show towards bugs.
@julie
cause we dont eat cicadas. we do eat meat. if i had to kill the cow myself, i would still eat meat, i just would probably eat less because i’m sure its a pain in the ass to skin and cut up a cow.
at least thats my reasoning.
although, i’m more of a fan of chicken.
great blog, i love cicadas.
We actually have a little plastic cup that was hastily labeled ‘bug evacuator’! (This way it doesn’t get thrown away) Its pretty funny to watch my 63 year old dad struggle to get out of his chair to go get the ‘bug evacuator’ because he knows my mom doesn’t want the bugs killed! On the other hand his hobby is cooking and he uses meat in most of the recipes, so you bring up a good point Julie! (although unlike Miriam, if he had to kill the meat himself, Im SURE he wouldnt cook with it!)