Spider Spit

My computer desk faces North. I’m looking out the window at pastures greening from the recent rain and a few mama cows with calves at their sides. Closer to me, I often watch furry black spiders with a white dot in the center of their mass crawl along the window. Just moments ago, I saw one of these familiar creatures do the unexpected. The spider spit out its prey. A small fly flew out of the spider’s mouth, dangled from a thread about a foot from its predator, shook free from the web thread, abandoned its damaged wings and crawled to safety. Yes, a survivor. There’s a lesson there ... Seconds ago, a jack rabbit with long, straight ears galloped past my window. Hopping doesn’t accurately describe its gait, perhaps cantering will do.

I’m trying to look at things more closely these days. To my annoyance, the place where I get gas, Murphy USA on Wal-Mart property, doesn’t monitor its employees very closely. Twice now, I’ve arrived at the pumps with the woman who is supposedly working, standing outside the booth smoking a cigarette about 20 feet from folks busy pumping gas. This is a danger ... not only for our safety, but the security of the booth is compromised. How do people get to keep these jobs? Speaking of Wal-Mart ... Is there any company anywhere with less motivated, less trained, less caring employees? I have never been in one of their stores where an employee asked me first if I needed assistance ... nor have I ever had a Wal-Mart Associate who knew their merchandise or protocol! I would certainly appreciate having a Target or Costco closer than 50 miles away.

Today is my niece’s graduation from Texas A&M University. In age, she’s the third of my folks’ grandchildren, but the first to graduate from college. Her brother is handicapped and her cousin is wandering his way through school, taking five years to graduate, albeit with a double major. Cait’s finished school in four years, achieving this increasingly difficult time-line by attending summer classes every year. Texas A&M awards each student who finishes in four years with a $1000 bonus. Go Cait!

We’ll be filling the stands today; both sets of grandparents, my sister Colleen and her husband Wayne, my brother Jeff and his wife Lisa and their twin sons and me .. all of us cheering Caitlin as she crosses the stage! Thanks goodness for my 12X zoom:) Cait’s graduation comes exactly 30 years after I finished at A&M! That doesn’t seem possible ... or feel possible ... unless I look in the mirror.

Finally, I’m reading the latest book in a delightful series by Alexander McCall Smith. “Blue Shoes and Happiness” chronicles the adventures of private investigator Precious Ramotswe who owns The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency in Botswana. Ms. Ramotswe is full of wisdom and thoughtful advice. In the story, there is a 14-year old boy who writes in for advice from a newspaper columnist. He’s very eager to please, does all of his homework, is well-behaved, pays attention in class, smiles at the teacher and doesn’t trouble the girls. The teacher can’t stand him . The more he aims to please, the more the teacher dislikes him.

Mma Ramotswe’s conclusion? “... “It is better ... to be a little bit bad in this life, and not too perfect. If you were too perfect, then you invited exactly this sort of reaction, even if teachers should be above that sort of thing.” The newspaper columnist is much harsher in her assessment... “You should not say that you are not like other boys, or people will think that you are a girl.” This bit of story captured my attention in that head-tilting-how-do-I -feel- about this way. Is it better to be a little bit bad in this life? I was one of those eager-to-please little boys and I’m an achiever as an adult. Is there truth to this statement or is it all just spider spit?

Spider Spit

My computer desk faces North. I’m looking out the window at pastures greening from the recent rain and a few mama cows with calves at their sides. Closer to me, I often watch furry black spiders with a white dot in the center of their mass crawl along the window. Just moments ago, I saw one of these familiar creatures do the unexpected. The spider spit out its prey. A small fly flew out of the spider’s mouth, dangled from a thread about a foot from its predator, shook free from the web thread, abandoned its damaged wings and crawled to safety. Yes, a survivor. There’s a lesson there ... Seconds ago, a jack rabbit with long, straight ears galloped past my window. Hopping doesn’t accurately describe its gait, perhaps cantering will do.

I’m trying to look at things more closely these days. To my annoyance, the place where I get gas, Murphy USA on Wal-Mart property, doesn’t monitor its employees very closely. Twice now, I’ve arrived at the pumps with the woman who is supposedly working, standing outside the booth smoking a cigarette about 20 feet from folks busy pumping gas. This is a danger ... not only for our safety, but the security of the booth is compromised. How do people get to keep these jobs? Speaking of Wal-Mart ... Is there any company anywhere with less motivated, less trained, less caring employees? I have never been in one of their stores where an employee asked me first if I needed assistance ... nor have I ever had a Wal-Mart Associate who knew their merchandise or protocol! I would certainly appreciate having a Target or Costco closer than 50 miles away.

Today is my niece’s graduation from Texas A&M University. In age, she’s the third of my folks’ grandchildren, but the first to graduate from college. Her brother is handicapped and her cousin is wandering his way through school, taking five years to graduate, albeit with a double major. Cait’s finished school in four years, achieving this increasingly difficult time-line by attending summer classes every year. Texas A&M awards each student who finishes in four years with a $1000 bonus. Go Cait!

We’ll be filling the stands today; both sets of grandparents, my sister Colleen and her husband Wayne, my brother Jeff and his wife Lisa and their twin sons and me .. all of us cheering Caitlin as she crosses the stage! Thanks goodness for my 12X zoom:) Cait’s graduation comes exactly 30 years after I finished at A&M! That doesn’t seem possible ... or feel possible ... unless I look in the mirror.

Finally, I’m reading the latest book in a delightful series by Alexander McCall Smith. “Blue Shoes and Happiness” chronicles the adventures of private investigator Precious Ramotswe who owns The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency in Botswana. Ms. Ramotswe is full of wisdom and thoughtful advice. In the story, there is a 14-year old boy who writes in for advice from a newspaper columnist. He’s very eager to please, does all of his homework, is well-behaved, pays attention in class, smiles at the teacher and doesn’t trouble the girls. The teacher can’t stand him . The more he aims to please, the more the teacher dislikes him.

Mma Ramotswe’s conclusion? “... “It is better ... to be a little bit bad in this life, and not too perfect. If you were too perfect, then you invited exactly this sort of reaction, even if teachers should be above that sort of thing.” The newspaper columnist is much harsher in her assessment... “You should not say that you are not like other boys, or people will think that you are a girl.” This bit of story captured my attention in that head-tilting-how-do-I -feel- about this way. Is it better to be a little bit bad in this life? I was one of those eager-to-please little boys and I’m an achiever as an adult. Is there truth to this statement or is it all just spider spit?