MONDAY, JULY 18, 2011
To spray, or not to spray
A couple of nice young men who reminded me of missionaries came to our door this evening selling pest control services. They're organic-based, great customer service, and only $30/month. Apparently around here pest control is something pretty much everybody does--it's like a utility bill.
My first inclination is to say "YES YES YES! Get rid of the creepy bugs and the scorpions that I can't see!!" But then I have a couple problems:
1) We are starving college students right now and really don't need the bill when we haven't even seen any pests around the house except a couple ants that aren't bugging us (get it? get it? hahaha)
2) Shouldn't I be trying to live IN nature?
So the first problem pretty much means we aren't getting pest control because the husband has control of the purse strings (which I have absolutely no problem with, btw. We'd be in a cardboard box if I was in charge).
As for the second problem. This is not my natural habitat. I don't belong in a desert, I belong in a forest on a mountain somewhere overlooking a lake. Lots and lots and lots of trees. But I do believe that every creature and creation has a spirit. The earth has a spirit, plants have spirits, the creepy bugs have spirits. They all have the right to a life and pursuit of happiness. They deserve to fulfill the reason for their existence. The fact is, they really aren't hurting me. I don't even see them, so there's no serious anxiety problems. They aren't biting us, or eating our food. Shouldn't I just let them alone? Live in harmony with all living things? How can I proclaim to love nature when I am at war with little creatures just because they make me want to run away screaming or jump on a chair?
I can't relax in nature if I'm getting attacked though. Going out at night in a green area around here is just asking to be swarmed with something. I can't even take a walk because there are cockroaches skittering across my path every two feet. It's not a very peaceful thing, and makes meditation difficult, to say the least. Large bugs make my skin crawl. Especially when there are a lot of them.
So now I'm at war with myself. Fortunately I don't have to find a resolution to this war any time soon, but it's really making me think.
My first inclination is to say "YES YES YES! Get rid of the creepy bugs and the scorpions that I can't see!!" But then I have a couple problems:1) We are starving college students right now and really don't need the bill when we haven't even seen any pests around the house except a couple ants that aren't bugging us (get it? get it? hahaha)
2) Shouldn't I be trying to live IN nature?
So the first problem pretty much means we aren't getting pest control because the husband has control of the purse strings (which I have absolutely no problem with, btw. We'd be in a cardboard box if I was in charge).
As for the second problem. This is not my natural habitat. I don't belong in a desert, I belong in a forest on a mountain somewhere overlooking a lake. Lots and lots and lots of trees. But I do believe that every creature and creation has a spirit. The earth has a spirit, plants have spirits, the creepy bugs have spirits. They all have the right to a life and pursuit of happiness. They deserve to fulfill the reason for their existence. The fact is, they really aren't hurting me. I don't even see them, so there's no serious anxiety problems. They aren't biting us, or eating our food. Shouldn't I just let them alone? Live in harmony with all living things? How can I proclaim to love nature when I am at war with little creatures just because they make me want to run away screaming or jump on a chair?
I can't relax in nature if I'm getting attacked though. Going out at night in a green area around here is just asking to be swarmed with something. I can't even take a walk because there are cockroaches skittering across my path every two feet. It's not a very peaceful thing, and makes meditation difficult, to say the least. Large bugs make my skin crawl. Especially when there are a lot of them.
So now I'm at war with myself. Fortunately I don't have to find a resolution to this war any time soon, but it's really making me think.
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