May 28, 2011

Should I or Should I not?

Should I or shouldn't I? Now, that's the question. Let me explain. As the warm weather is slowly creeping on us, I also notice few other things creeping around us, the ants, the bees and the such.

The immediate reaction on sighting one of these little critters is to smash them. It used to be never a problem for me doing that. But these days I am not able to get myself to harm them in any way, let alone kill them.

Taking a closer look at them, how actively they are running around for food and wondering about the family they will be leaving behind if I were to kill them and how it is the only life they have got and how sad if they were to die that very minute, what thoughts are going through their mind and all these "voices" come flooding through my mind stopping me on my tracks and I refrain from hurting them. The worst I might do is blow them away and that too only if I have to.

Instead I wish to help them if at all I can by leaving a puddle of water with my finger where I spot them in case they are thirsty searching for food. It is funny how when I saw a loner ant looking for something to eat on my clean kitchen table the other day, I felt so pity that I put a pinch of sugar next to it as a surprise treat! Didn't stick around longer to see what he thought of it though. Because if he didn't care for the heap of sugar on the table I will be so disappointed you see. So, I just walk away imagining he was delighted to find the treat and telling himself how come he missed it in the first place...

As a child I once helped some ants move a "big" load of food they were trying so hard to move, only to frighten them in all directions... so now I know better not to touch their load or interfere in their business other than providing them surprises here and there.

The other day as I was dropping off the kids there was this huge bear on the side of the road (trust me we live in bear country in this part of New Jersey) I wished I could go and give it a hug. What's wrong with me? Nothing! It is just that the bear looked kind of lost that I felt like finding out where he lived and if I could give him a ride or something in those lines...

It is not uncommon to hear me talk to the fish in our aquarium. I call one of them Methuselah - the tank cleaner. Methuselah doesn't move around much like the other kind. So everyday I want to see Methuselah moving at least once to make sure he is okay. I was getting late to work one day last week and I just couldn't step out without seeing Methuselah move. As the clock is sticking by I am standing next to the fish tank and calling out, "Methuselah, Methuselah, are you okay? Methuselah! say something..." As if he understood me, he sprinted so fast to the other side of the tank making my day!

Okay, my concern on Methuselah we can understand - right? After all he is a pet and so part of the family now! The bear? Hmmmm... if you think about it, it is not a very common sight even in this part of New Jersey and the only bears we are exposed to since child hood is teddy bear and I guess we can understand my momentary instinct to give him a hug.

But the ants? Now that bothers me! Initially I would spot one carpenter ant in some wall; but now it is like at least half a dozen on any given day. They are just thriving and happily living 'ever after'. I have started to reason that they could multiply so fast so soon that they will have to leave a pinch of sugar for me finishing up everything else.

But still I am unable to get myself to kill them. Israel is handy but he won't take my reasoning around smashing some ants. To him this will seem silly and may suggest I am complicating a simple problem. And that's why I thought of checking with you folks. Now tell me, Should I or Shouldn't I?

13 comments:

adithyasaravana said...

why should you smash them? just leave them alone.. and don't you try to help them too.. I would be aghast if some monster is trying to give me a plate of chicken biriyani..God! if we all try to think what they would think, then probably i shouldn't sterilize my operation theatre at all..

Irfanuddin said...

well..Loving pets is always self satisfying....but i personally don't find it wrong by going against the creatures who some how make things little difficult for us...and more over thats how the life cycle is maintained i think......

PS: Hope some like Menaka Gandhi doesn't go through this comment...:))

KParthasarathi said...

You come out as a compassionate individual from this post.I am very timid as like you I cannot summon the heart to kill anything.Even a rat caught in a trap I do not kill by drowning it but instead I set it free a little far from my home!!You need not kill the insects but make your home uninhabitable for them by keeping it clean and hostile to their presence.That would save us from the difficult job of exterminating them.

Felicity Grace Terry said...

Glad to hear that you talk to your fish - I know I do and to my plants as well, and yes, they all have names.

I had a similar dilemma with wasps last year and only did something about them when I awoke to find one crawling in my hair - too close for comfort I think even you'll agree.

Amrit said...

Leave them alone and take them out of your way

Rachna said...

I know let them be out of your way but don't kill them. If it is cockroaches then those have to be killed.

NRIGirl said...

I am surprised to see most of you are for 'Nah' than 'Yeah'. Points taken.

I am also surprised the so called "compassionate" me had no problem going fishing this weekend and cooking the catch for dinner later...

sneha said...

totally get wat u mean. as a kid i enjoyed killing tese tiny creature, but i noe otherwisse now. i'm new here & i luv it already. especially the interviews:)
BTW am following u now. hope 2 c u on my site desigirl28.blogspot.com

Bikram said...

Hmm oh god I have sinned so much I have done some really silly things .. But i guess that life and the process of learning ..

This is all a process to keep everything in check.. imagine if nothing died what will happen ...

Bikram's

baili said...

really sweet writing dear,i have insect killer spry but never used it without when thing are really serious,

when i sit along my garden they are big attraction for me,watching them with their business is like studying a book of nature and receiving so many beautiful messages,

i wish we all can live as a huge big family together.

god bless you

deeps said...

to be or not to be...

Paul said...

Nice post akka! ;-)

Balachandran V said...

I am against killing even an offensive ant, but i do kill them, along with mosquitoes and roaches and other bugs. Not always; depends on the mood I am in. Sometimes I feel quite benign and kind and loving; sometimes the very opposite - bugs beware! :-)

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