WRIGGLED TO WINGED: AN AESOPIAN TALE OF METAMORPHOSIS

 

From my lofty eighth story balcony I am writing about the lowly wriggling caterpillar. Reading other writers, it seems the caterpillar has been looked down upon (from as far up as Heaven apparently) for quite some time.

1 KINGS 8:37

“If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, blasting, mildew, locust, or if there be caterpillar … “

A dear friend, and ofttimes colleague, told me a story about a phone call she received with regard to a giant caterpillar discovered in a back yard in small town Saskatchewan.

If there's something strange
In your neighbourhood
Who you gonna call?

If there's something weird
And it don't look good
Who you gonna call? (Ghostbusters theme song, by Ray Parker Jr.)

Who you gonna call?  THE ENTOMOLOGY FAMILY RACKOW, THAT’S WHO!

The call took place last September, and there was, indeed, something strange and something weird in the neighbourhood.  Something the shape and size and colour of a hot dog was crawling around in a back yard in the town of Pilot Butte.  The ENTOMOLOGY FAMILY RACKOW (mixing the movie metaphors, GHOSTBUSTERS and SPACE FAMILY ROBINSON) rushed to the rescue.  A terrarium filled with six inches of potting soil and a supply of leaves was arranged immediately by the Rackows, becoming the new abode for the newly discovered Achemon Sphinx caterpillar.  The Rackow family aptly and affectionately nicknamed their Achemon Sphinx, LEAF ERICKSON.

 

LEAF ERICKSON. VERY. CLEVER. INDEED. 

About this nickname.  Maybe (for sure, I’m sure) it was inspired by Lief Ericson, the Norse explorer (after all, leaf-eating, Leaf, was found exploring in a back yard).  But his surname, Erickson, hints at other possibilities.  Maybe it was inspired by Erick Erikson, the German-American psychologist (Rebecca, matriarch of the Entomology Family Rackow, has an honours degree in Psychology); or just maybe from Milton Erickson, the famous American, and MY favourite, hypnotherapist.  Hmmm.  Of the three, the spelling of Leaf’s surname matches only that of Milton’s.  Chasing this surname down some psychological rabbit holes whilst mixing metaphors is, I know, really poetaster, but rather fun. 

Whoever his namesake, Leaf was a wriggler caterpillar, and according to his nature, would eventually grow a pair of wings and fly away as a moth.  And Leaf’s story, on a continuum of sorts, is all of our stories.  In our baby beginnings, we are all of us wrigglers.   And as sure as sunrises and sunsets, some of us stay wriggled on the ground, while others of us manage to wax winged for the clouds.

The Rackows were hoping Leaf would metamorphose.  They were hoping to save Leaf’s life so he could eventually crawl out of the dirt, spread his wings, and fly into the sun.  For Leaf and his natural ilk, the sky is the limit.

Today I am writing that such a metamorphosis need not be limited to just creature insects and amphibians.

Metaphorically, metamorphosis can most certainly apply to the behaviours of humans.  And when I try to attach the science of metamorphosis to humans, I am not referring to any majority extrinsically-pressured cultural rites of passage, for example, the expectation of getting a driver’s licence at 16, or going for a beer at a bar upon the age of majority.

I am referring only to those solitary, intrinsically-pressured achievements.  I am referring to examples such as personal fitness and post-secondary academic goals.  (Factoid:  Most people are not physically fit.  Another factoid:  Most people do not achieve a graduate university level of education.)

And now to ME ME ME METAMOPHOSIS ME. To date I have morphed many times in my life.  Close to 70 years of age, my watershed moments are multiple.  (HELLO FRANZ KAFKA!)

My academic wings empirically expanded began flapping immediately following the defence of my Master’s thesis

O’er the waves I was soaring high and in the wind after receiving my swimming instructor/life guard/scuba certification water-world wings.

I was but a bug on my very first buskation thrumming my guitar on the streets of Victoria, British Columbia.  And then after many years of a self-imposed busker internship, I finally transformed into a winged moth who literally flew into Marrakech, and drew over a hundred faces of the merchants on the streets.

I grew; I flew.  I GREW; I FLEW.  I GREW; I FLEW.  

AND YOU CAN TOO.    

ANYONE CAN GROW WINGS AND FLY.

I do not mean to present that intrinsic motivation is the only way to butterfly or moth maker.  Because it's not.  (There is always debate about intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation.  Some argue they are different motivations; while others argue that all motivation is essentially intrinsic.  Whatever the case, this is not a blog about that.)  

One can grow or one can stay same ol’ same ol.’ Granted, it’s always easier to stay in the same ol’ haunts and visit the same ol’ ghosts.  A girl I know took her babes in arms and left her drunken husband.  She left their family house in Calgary, Alberta and moved to Regina.  With no income she had to rely on welfare.  She eventually entered the Adult admission program at the University of Regina, got her undergraduate degree, then entered the College of Law at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.  After passing her bar exams she joined a law firm in Toronto, Ontario and the rest is history.  There are lots of stories like this, stories about people falling to rock bottom and with whatever prompts, manage to keep crawling until they grow wings and fly away.

I opened this post with a biblical reference and it seems fitting, too, that I close with one.  The belief in  Christian theology is that the (Felix Culpa) Fall of humans (translated as "blessed" or "fortunate" fall) was necessary for our redemption -- Jesus Christ had to be crucified on the cross to save our souls from Hell.  "Then shall the fall further the flight in me" (from George Herbert's EASTER WINGS).

True confessions:  I am an existentialist.  I am not a person of faith.  But both these biblical references are included only to make my point about the suffering (fall) and the solace (rise) of the human condition.  Suffering makes us stronger.     

TO MORPH OR TO STAGNATE ...

THE CHOICE IS ALWAYS Y/OURS.

Meanwhile back at the Rackow terrarium …

Two days ago I received a picture of Leaf, a beautiful Achemon Sphinx moth with a four-inch wingspan, looking nothing like that wiener wriggler he once was.

And just a moment ago I received this text from Rebecca:

“LEAF ERICKSON HAS FLOWN AWAY!”