I am reminded that years ago I might have mindlessly squashed the bug. I would have gotten rid of what I considered a nuisance. I would not have recognized I’d just extinguished a life. I am surprised at what I now consider callousness. I denied myself the pleasure I get from saving a life.
I’ve had a fruit fly in my kitchen for a few weeks. I can’t say if it’s the
same fruit fly or different ones substituting one another.
The fly appears at different times. I don’t see her or him (for ease of
writing, I’m going to refer to the fly as her) everytime I’m in the kitchen.
It’s gotten to the point where I look for her if I don’t notice her. I
realize I’ve gotten somewhat attached to seeing her flying around, or
resting on a utensil or ledge.
I am reminded that years ago I might have mindlessly squashed the bug. I
would have gotten rid of what I considered a nuisance. I would not have
recognized I’d just extinguished a life. I am surprised at what I now
consider callousness. I denied myself the pleasure I get from saving a life.
I live in an apartment so there isn’t much wildlife that gets into my space,
mostly spiders, ladybugs, and centipedes. I have a phobia about centipedes,
so I remove them from the apartment and put them outside. I happily coexist
with the spiders and ladybugs. I get spider bites from time to time, which
can be nasty, but I’m not bothered to live with them.
When I see the fruit fly—which I have again this morning, I have a feeling
of warmth. I don’t know if my feeling of pleasure is transmitted to the
fruit fly. I don’t think anyone knows. I tend to believe - with no proof -
that in the future we will learn that our thoughts and feelings are
communicated in ways we didn’t realize. The feeling is automatic, but I’m
aware of it and hope the fruit fly experiences it. It’s my way of having a
relationship with her.
I do the same when I’m out walking and see a squirrel or other animal. I let
them know they are safe with me. Or, when I see a squirrel crossing the road
I say a prayer - ‘stay safe’ - ‘don’t do anything silly, like stopping in
the middle of the road’ which I so often see them do.
I say a prayer when I see an animal lying in or on the side of the road.
I’ve heard about people who travel with shovels and other gear to properly
bury ‘roadkill’. (I don’t like that expression, it seems antiseptic and
dismissive of the life that’s been lost.) I bury deceased birds or chipmunks
if I find them while walking. Sometimes it’s as simple as lifting them with
sticks and putting them under a bed of leaves. I feel a twinge of sadness
assuming that the animal was inadvertently killed by a car. I feel some
pleasure that I can acknowledge the sanctity of their lives by burying them
with a simple prayer.
I have researched a bit about fruit flies. They are of the drosophilidae
family, of which: ‘The average lifespan of a fruit fly is about 40 to 50
days. The fruit fly life cycle is made up of four stages: egg, larva, pupa,
and adult. Most of the fly's life is spent as an adult, with development
usually taking less than two weeks’.
I was surprised to learn of the length of the fruit flies lifespan. I guess
I expected the life span to be shorter, given how tiny they are. Perhaps I
also assumed short longevity because I had so easily disposed of them in the
past. Given this information, I’m figuring the fruit fly living in my
kitchen is one that’s been with me for a few weeks.
Not surprisingly, as I researched the fly, right below the short description
about lifespan were link after link about what to do with an infestation—how
to get rid of fruit flies. This is the world we live in. And, I, too, was
guilty. They were considered pests until I realized the pleasure in saving
and appreciating a life.
For now, my little fruit fly happily coexists with me in the kitchen,
although she has visited me at my desk. I know she will likely disappear in
the coming days/weeks. I am amazed at the relationships that develop given
awareness and interest.
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