A Mantis..2 Kids...20 Seconds..a laugh with a friend...a lifetime of lessons

I never cease to be amazed at how much can be learned from just a few seconds of life. It happens all the time in my life. If I would just stop and think about things a little bit deeper...a little bit richer...then I think my life would be greatly enhanced.

So what happened...

Here's the story...

One of my life friends (she and I have been friends for far over half of my lifetime) were outside catching up while her child and another boy played nearby. Her littlest boy comes running up soooo excited. He holds in his hands a praying mantis. He hands it to his mother and like the trooper she is...she plays with it for a brief few seconds. She hands it back to him and.....

Well this is where it begins...the lessons that is...and where so many of my predispositions are contravened!

In succession the events went like this...

1. I say "you should go play with it"


2. He says "it's not a toy"


3. We laugh


4. The mantis decides to take a tour of his little body (starting at the shirt...then a bee line to his neck..and onto his back)


5. He freaks out and starts screaming


6. Mom valiantly swats the mantis to the ground


7. The other boy comes running from no-where and steps on the mantis


8. The original boy picks up the (now flattened) mantis


9. We are laughing so hard


10. The boy runs to play with his now squished bug

PHEW...

This took all of about 20 seconds to happen....

Now this was a few days ago and I am still trying to get into my head all of the things that I learned in that moment.

So for your perusing pleasure I now present..a glimpse inside my mind-scape

In the order of arrival.

1. I truly wanted his happiness when I said you should go play with it...but look at how far my mental schema was off. The boy recognized that his happiness was secondary to the life of the bug...so


2. Life is not a toy...man is he correct or what? How often do we look at life from the position of what is best for ourselves. How often have I sat there and wondered what pleasure a relationship was going to bring me today...instead of what pleasure could I bring to others? Life is not a toy...no it is a gift and needs to be cherished


3. Oh how I love those moments with my friend. These are the things that will reverberate in my mind forever. The instances of shared experiences that will engulf my final moments on Earth. I have a few deep friendships which I have no idea how I (with my many faults) have managed to remain a participant in all of these years. But these moments of laughter...holy crap...thats great stuff. We knew we would have material for the next few years to add to the "reminiscence"


4. Life is a variable. Who knew mantis was wanting to explore. Sometimes right when you think you know what coming next..someone checks out of the situation and goes for a walk about. Mantis knew she was just vacationing but...


5. The boy didn't. The point here is this variability freaks us out. We can't handle it. Now our "maturity" teaches us to stuff it deep down in our emotional soul so that others just get the "news". But I have seen it over and over (especially with affairs) how this variability of relationship causes us to "freak out". This little mantis's reaction has a plethora of anthropomorphic implications that ...well my mind would hurt if I told you all of the ones that are going through it right now...think about it without me tainting your mind...(it's way more fun that way).


6. I loved this part...a valiant soldier ready to protect those in need. I love that about her..I love that about you..I love it when I get the chance to do it for others..Just cool.


7. Now here's the comic part...another valiant soldier...but way on the outside of the "conversation". The issue was already taken care of ...the mantis was ok..the boy was ok...I was ok...the mom was ok..the "conversation" was over and it was fine. But the busy body with great intentions...just wasn't part of the dialogue. He jumped in when all was OK and stirred it back up by squishing the poor mantis. I have done this. Things were fine...the issue was taken care of...and then I come along with my "wee bit-o-undertanding" and make a mess of it. This happens with friends and parents who we divulge problems to...only because we are too weak to go to the one who has offended us. Once we get to that person and make things OK..we forget..our valiant friends and family have had no closure..they are still ticked...and well...might just squish a heart.


8. Awwww...


9. Awwwwwwww...part 2...


10. Sometimes it's just hard to give up the love and say goodbye. I've learned this one way too many times in my young life.



11. 20 seconds...life shifted....hope given...lessons learned....lessons remembered....20 seconds...and one squished mantis later...poor little mantis...cute little guy.