Differences, the moth/butterfly theory

When I was younger, I had (still do) a couple of phobias.....one is spiders and the other is moths. Whenever I would scream, I could hear my dad say, to whichever brother was closest, "Go kill the spider for Ronna." And they would trudge to my room and kill the spider. That always meant a lot to me -- thanks boys. Kurt was especially adept at capturing moths. And I mean, capturing by the wings -- "Catch and Release" was his motto.

Bearing this in mind -- a moth got into the house last night. The creature was as big as a butterfly. I did not have as kindly a dispostion toward the moth as I might have if it were a butterfly. Differences --- they are everywhere and sometimes those differences color our perceptions and acceptance. This is something that we all know, but it seems to be a stark revelation when it comes to moths and butterflies.......why do we love to watch butterflies, but want to swat moths? These differences are somewhat akin to the differences between a crik and a creek -- which you'd know if you've ever ready Patrick McManus -- but that's neither here nor there......there is a difference between moths and butterflies........

My theory -- butterflies float gently on the air, they flit and sparkle in the sunlight with bright and flashy colors. Moths on the other hand appear at night, they are dark and dusty (as you know if you've ever swatted one), they are known to dive bomb you and to migrate to whichever light is burning, which means they follow you through the house as you head to bed.....then they lurk, ready to land on you when the last light is off......this is not a pleasant thought. So moths are not as widely accepted as butterflies.

I still don't like spiders -- though I have to kill them myself these days. I still don't like moths -- the butterfly size, dive-bombing monstrosity that terrorized me last night was finally vanquished -- Derek trapped it in a paper cup and in true Kurt fashion, released it in to the wild.....and it wasn't but two minutes later it was clinging to the screen door seeking re-entry. It did not succeed......maybe someday I will understand and gain an appreciation for moths, but for now -- they can stay outside -- away from me!