hermits
I had a few early morning errands to run today. I decided to stop by First Colony Mall to purchase a postcard for my host mom, whom I have yet to write. On the way out to my car I checked out the hermit crab kiosk by the food court. It was just barely ten o'clock and the worker guy was still performing openning duties which included removing dead hermits out of the display.
Okay, first of all I was mildly disturbed by the fact that someone had painted butterflies, smiley faces and other obnoxious designs on all of their shells. As he was shoveling the dead out he explained, "They have to find a new shell every six months when they grow. If they don't find a new home, they die." Hermit crabs have got to be the most depressing creatures in the world. They live anywhere between 2-10 years. How upsetting is it that their lifespan can be severely cut just because they can't find a home? There were two deceased hermits in the box...and uninhabited, painted mind you, shells all over. With the mortality rate so high in a controlled environment, what is it on a real beach?
What if people were like hermit crabs? Do they just settle for any shell that'll fit? Or do they look at the exterior as well as the interior? Do they prefer butterfly or smiley face shells? Do they think about living on other beaches? What if I was stuck in a little box for my entire life? I used to think I knew where I belonged. But the more I see and experience, the more restless I become. I feel homeless. Will I die if I don't find a new home soon? And then what's going to happen in six months when I grow and change again? I am overreacting.
Okay, first of all I was mildly disturbed by the fact that someone had painted butterflies, smiley faces and other obnoxious designs on all of their shells. As he was shoveling the dead out he explained, "They have to find a new shell every six months when they grow. If they don't find a new home, they die." Hermit crabs have got to be the most depressing creatures in the world. They live anywhere between 2-10 years. How upsetting is it that their lifespan can be severely cut just because they can't find a home? There were two deceased hermits in the box...and uninhabited, painted mind you, shells all over. With the mortality rate so high in a controlled environment, what is it on a real beach?
What if people were like hermit crabs? Do they just settle for any shell that'll fit? Or do they look at the exterior as well as the interior? Do they prefer butterfly or smiley face shells? Do they think about living on other beaches? What if I was stuck in a little box for my entire life? I used to think I knew where I belonged. But the more I see and experience, the more restless I become. I feel homeless. Will I die if I don't find a new home soon? And then what's going to happen in six months when I grow and change again? I am overreacting.