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?

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An early 90s builder of web stuff and blogging Alan Levine barks at CogDogBlog.com on web storytelling (#ds106 #4life), photography, bending WordPress, and serendipity in the infinite internet river. He thinks it's weird to write about himself in the third person. And he is 100% into the Fediverse (or tells himself so) Tooting as @cogdog@cosocial.ca

Comments

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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….

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