On a daily basis, life presents me metaphors.
cc licensed flickr photo shared by Frosted Peppercorn
When I stepped in the shower this morning, I notice a medium sized, non threatening black spider in the bath tub. My first, and normal reaction is to quickly grab a tissue, so I can squash the bugger, toss it, so I can go about my day. It’s in the way.
And I did grab a wad of tissue.
But I hesitated.
I remembered a time when I was with a friend, and some others were bothered by flies in the room buzzing against the window. Several people reacted with the intent to squash, but Barb deftly whipped her arm around, cupped the flies in her hand, walked outside, and set them free. She did not make a speech about this, and just mumbled something about it not taking too much more effort to free something rather than killing it.
So I went to the kitchen, grabbed a glass, a piece of cardboard. I popped the glass over Mr Spidey, slide cardboard underneath, and escorted him outside.
cc licensed flickr photo shared by V31S70
It really did not take much more effort to relocate this living thing than to smush and discard it. Smashing seems easier at first.
So what’s the spider in your bath tub?
I’m like Barb – I catch them with my hand and let them out the door.
I won’t hesitate to squash if it’s attacking me (eg., a mosquito trying for blood) but otherwise prefer to let the living live.
I’m a smoosher (or rather I make Skip do the smooshing…)
I’m definitely a spider wrangler, though in this part of the world you tend not to use your hands. There are lots of poisonous spiders here, but even the ones that aren’t can still be the size of your fist.
As an example, here’s one I caught several years ago: http://www.flickr.com/photos/acousticdad/64996709/
For reference, the magazine I’ve used to trap the spider is made of standard A4 (8 1/2 x 11″) paper
I know people who use vacuum cleaners or shoes, but to me it’s such a waste of life. I vote relocation.
Hippies
Kill the freaking thing, it’s all about marking your territory, you’re a dog, you should know this 🙂
If this is about metaphors rather than spiders (toward whom my behavior is rather inconsistent, though I like to think of myself as the type of person who takes them outside), then my “spider in the bathtub” is people who annoy me. I can “squash” them, verbally, but it is better is oh so many ways to smile and move on. Not the same as lifting them up and putting them outside…well, maybe it is….
Thanks Lisa, for being finally soneone to take the metaphorical route. I dont care really whether people kill spiders or not..