During a recent bath, the younger Free-Ride offspring shared some deep thoughts:
Younger offspring: There’s always life, even though every living thing dies.
Dr. Free-Ride: Oh?
Younger offspring: But life still continues because the Earth never explodes.
Elder offspring: (from the hallway) Not so far.
Dr. Free-Ride: So what has you thinking about life this way?
Younger offspring: When I have children and grandchildren, when I die they’ll still have life.
Dr. Free-Ride: I see. And that’s important to you?
Younger offspring: Uh huh.
Dr. Free-Ride: And can you explain why that’s important to you?
Younger offspring: Because I want children to live, the same as me.
Dr. Free-Ride: I see.
Younger offspring: A long, happy life.
Dr. Free-Ride: Sure.
Younger offspring: When they want to die, they can die. When they don’t want to die, I hope they don’t.
Dr. Free-Ride: I see. So to you, life is mainly valuable for enjoyment.
Younger offspring: Yeah.
Dr. Free-Ride: I think that’s not a bad view. So, do you think there’s life on other planets?
Younger offspring: No, I don’t think aliens are alive. Because I don’t think aliens are real.
Dr. Free-Ride: Hmm. Well, if there’s life on other planets, I bet it’s not much like the aliens in stories. I think it might be more like mold or germs or tiny little plants.
Younger offspring: (gasp!) I see a spider!
Dr. Free-Ride: Where? Is it on the wall?
Younger offspring: Yeah!
Dr. Free-Ride: Well then it isn’t going to get into the tub, is it? ‘Cause it doesn’t want to die. It just wants to eat tasty insects.
Younger offspring: But what if it sees insects and comes here?
Dr. Free-Ride: There are no insects in here. And besides, spiders have a pretty healthy self-preservation instinct. They get out of the tub when they see it filling with water, and I help the ones that need help getting out. I don’t think spiders should die prematurely.
Younger offspring: But I don’t like them! They creep me out!
Dr. Free-Ride: That’s funny to me. Do you know why?
Younger offspring: I don’t like them climbing on me!
Dr. Free-Ride: It’s nowhere near you. But you know what I think is interesting? At this stage of the game, spiders creep you out more than death does.
“At this stage of the game, spiders creep you out more than death does.”
Well, yeah….
I think younger offspring’s got the right idea about death, and it’s great that she(?) can be so comfortable with the idea at this young age.
I used to share her attitude about spiders (and still do), but I’ve grown much more tolerant of them as I’ve learned more about insects and spiders in their natural habitats. Now that I have some bug identification books and get excited about seeing and photographing these creatures outside, I can’t really justify being creeped out by bugs in my own home (especially since there aren’t any really poisonous ones around here; if there were black widows, I might react differently).
You seem to be doing really well in educating your kids. Mine are used to spiders, since we let them live (although we occasionally remove their nets).
On the other hand, I’m not tolerant towards other living nonpoisonous creatures. Ants, roaches, mosquitos and flour bugs get killed mercilessly. I don’t care how much they enjoy life.