Gratitude

golinux · 2024-08-12 14:54:45

This arrived today from a good friend who lives in a wildlife sanctuary. The world would be a better place with more compassion like this. Brought tears to my eyes . . .

Yesterday I rescued a daddy long legs (DDL) from the argiope aurantia spider's web outside the kitchen window. I carefully picked off the pieces of sticky web stuck on its incredibly fragile legs.
When it was free, instead of hurrying away like every other DLL I've ever encountered this one stretched out along my finger and held on, caressing my finger.
After a few minutes I gently pried it over to a coil of rope on the side of the house.
I've never experienced such gratitude from a small 'bug' actually a form of arachnid, before. Other DDLs I rescue just stagger away. This one may have seen my eyes through the optivisor I was wearing while I de-webbed it.
Sentience.

GlennW · 2024-08-12 22:55:48

Cool!

stopAI · 2024-08-13 11:22:53

Hello.

Animals, including insects, are much more intelligent than scientists believe.

Ron · 2024-08-13 20:42:07

Well that was good for the daddy long legs, but the yellow garden spider went hungry that day.

golinux · 2024-08-13 21:08:51

That may or may not be true. The spider may only have missed the appetizer . . .

I have a spider - don't know what kind but it is really fat - that has been building a web across and blocking my front door every night for most of the summer. I never see what it is catching because every morning when I get up the web has disappeared and there is no sign of its maker. But by 11-12:00 at night, it is back. Not a problem for me because I never go out after dark. I also have bunnies in the yard that don't flinch even when I walk very close to them. They just keep chomping on the various native grasses. I've also had sparrows nest on my front porch. Always happy to provide protection from wind, rain and predators.

golinux · 2024-08-15 20:31:02

For those who have an interest, the disappearing web mystery is solved!

I know exactly what happens.
You likely have a Neoscona crucifera spider. An orb weaver. we have one of these in the window behind my desk chair.
Every evening spidy weaves its web for its nightly catch. In the early morning she eats her web and crawls up into some safe spot to spend the day.

I suspect I know where spidy is hiding but don't want to disturb her.

greenjeans · 2024-08-24 16:52:39

Beautiful story! I believe all creatures have some level of sentience, even plants, especially ancient trees.

Spiders are a favorite, we have a a bunch living in the house, they take care of gnats and other things like dust mites and such, occasionally one falls into the sink or tub and can't get out, and now they know when I reach my hand out to jump on it because i'm just giving them a lift back to their web.

All the animals and trees in my little environment know me and trust me, wild critters come up and talk to me all the time, usually wanting a treat, but sometimes just to say good morning. Wife calls me Dr. Doolittle at times, lol.

Thanks for sharing Golinux!

golinux · 2024-08-24 17:40:01

So good to see you greenjeans! It is such a blessing that we can live so close to and communicate with what's left of the natural world. I am familiar with the spider/scorpion in the tub rescue operation but so few get into the house, I still have to capture them to relocate them outside. I sure wish it was so easy to deal with the mosquitoes and ants . . .

Don't be a stranger, greenjeans!

zapper · 2024-08-25 06:27:11

Gratitude, tough to have, but priceless to have.

greenjeans · 2024-08-26 18:23:34

Oh I stop in fairly frequently these days now that I don't have to walk a mile for internet, lol. I just don't post much because i'm not the ninja so many on here are, so I don't have that much to contribute, plus my New Year's resolution this year was to read more and post less!

ETA: And because my Devuan installs are so boringly stable, so I never really have an issue to post unless i'm doing something hacky that I probably shouldn't be doing, hah!

Last edited by greenjeans (2024-08-26 18:25:33)

zapper · 2024-09-05 04:35:07

I have gratitude for many things, if I think about it long enough

One my faith,
two my anger has diminished over the years
if there is a third, it is that I begin to see traps for what they are.

Such as social media, people go on there to be validated all too often and whether they are or not, there is a risk in both directions of losing your way.

1: You become arrogant from get validation too much (positive)
2: you fall into despair from being criticized too much (negative)

My faith has been showing me these things.

although it took me a while, for me to respond and/or take it seriously.

Those are some gratitudes I have discovered recently.

goat · 2024-10-03 00:39:25

It is a not so infrequent occurrence that a cricket or two (or three!), will find it's way into the home here. I usually make a quick order of catching and releasing them outside. Recently however, moments like that have been a highlight of my day (a moment where I can feel as though, something I do can be helpful). Sometimes I think to myself, one of them might make a nice pet, heh. But, I always conclude they are best left to their own kind, among their own elements. We've a surprising array of wildlife here, despite the urban habitat. Sometimes, the various creatures, seem a sort of distant bit of, ephemeral companions. Where we may share brief moments of shared curiosity.

I've wondered about the whole, 'gratitude,' schtick for some time: it seems trying to produce genuine gratitude on demand, for me at least, is next to impossible. I really do wonder what genuine gratitude is. I imagine it to be a rather unpleasant experience in humility. Yet, I don't think that is what it really is. Seems to me, properly, it should be a sort of... exquisitely beautiful feeling: like standing next to a very tall, old tree, and thinking: wow...!

Perhaps it's different at different times: gratitude.

It has been interesting to get to know the crickets here though. When I've really got up close with them, really observed, I could tell you without a doubt, their, what we would call, 'humanity,' is quite present and observable: fear, elation, curiosity, etc.. It's beyond me to imagine.. I suppose I'm grateful for that.

I'm grateful for beauty, most of all, and my experience of it, over the years. That tremulous sort of awe that gives you a bit of a shiver, perhaps some goose pimples, and puts a bitter sweet tear or two in the eyes.

edit: Also, I'd say I'm eternally grateful, for those moments of profound, or even simple, shared experience with friends over the years: leisurely walking.. and talking.. about this, and that, and special sort of nothing special somethings: with heavenly ground and grasses under foot, trees here and there, and sky above..

...And how could I forget Music.

Last edited by goat (2024-10-03 01:39:45)

The officially official Devuan Forum!

#1 2024-08-12 14:54:45

Gratitude

#2 2024-08-12 22:55:48

Re: Gratitude

#3 2024-08-13 11:22:53

Re: Gratitude

#4 2024-08-13 20:42:07

Re: Gratitude

#5 2024-08-13 21:08:51

Re: Gratitude

#6 2024-08-15 20:31:02

Re: Gratitude

#7 2024-08-24 16:52:39

Re: Gratitude

#8 2024-08-24 17:40:01

Re: Gratitude

#9 2024-08-25 06:27:11

Re: Gratitude

#10 2024-08-26 18:23:34

Re: Gratitude

#11 2024-09-05 04:35:07

Re: Gratitude

#12 2024-10-03 00:39:25

Re: Gratitude

Board footer