Tag Archives: Fly

How To Unlock Caterpillar Logic

Growing up in New Orleans for me was a privilege, that I don’t take for granted in my childhood. It meant good food, lively music, snowballs, and a rich culture. It also meant around spring time caterpillars would hang from my grandparents oak trees!

 

I dreaded caterpillars because they were very thick and sticky. There was often a host of caterpillars all crammed together like a pack of sardines. April and May, in particular, meant caterpillars would be everywhere from the sidewalks, bushes, and my grandmother’s porch. This did not mean much to my grandfather when he’d want assistance in cleaning the sidewalk.

“Come on out here boy, this sidewalk won’t brush itself!!” He’d yell.

“But he’s hysterical of those caterpillars!” Gammie would plead!

I’m thankful my Gammie always had my back and considered how I felt! It is through her care and concern, I never had to help my pops clean around outside during the spring! Luckily, I had a brother who didn’t mind as much! 😀

I never shook my fear of them until I left New Orleans. I didn’t see them at all in Texas although I noticed on occasion, I’d catch small moths and butterflies. I’ve grown to appreciate the caterpillar because of its developmental changes. I reference their process often in my life. Looking back at how afraid I was, I now see a misguided fear. Was I afraid of growing? Could I soon break free from the cocoon? The more I learned about their process, the more I appreciated their relevance in all living existence.

I made a short video breaking down an allegorical connection between caterpillars and the flow of your ideas!

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Earnest & The Helium Balloon

It ‘twas the middle of October, a day, unlike this rest. It wasn’t just the red, orange, and yellow leaves in view that colored excitement in the air. Today was different. Today was the last day of the State Fair.

A time where extroverted girls and boys are filled with anticipation. With plenty to do and plenty to see. This day was guaranteed to feel like the longest day of the year. Earnest waited for this day to arrive. He had dreamed about it for oh so long. As happy as he was – he was also determined to win something. He felt ambition racing through him like warm lights rising from the darkness. He knew he wanted not only to win but to have fun.

Where could he go first? Earnest was as close to his name as one could get. Filled with intention and a pocket of anxiousness – he tried with all of his power to focus. Before he knew it – all time had passed and he had only one game left to play before the fair closed.

Earnest had a lot of fun but very little to none chances at winning – this was his only shot. He kissed his hands as he held the hammer tightly. He wanted to hit the ball as hard as he could so the pinpoint could ring all the way up to a 100 Skies. Bam! He hit – to his pleasant surprise he was only 14 points away from 100. The attendant yelled: “EIGHTY-SIX! Congratulations you won the last red balloon of the evening!”

Earnest snickered with excitement! Not only did he have a loaded time but he finally won a prize worth taking home! Earnest held to the thin rope which held the balloon in place. On his way back home he noticed just how windy the day had turned. The leaves seemed to blow harder while the balloon swayed with it.

Earnest noticed, however, even when the wind wasn’t windy – his new found friend didn’t seem to want to stay with him. He decided he would tie it around his trousers to prevent it from wandering off. As he pulled the balloon closely to him – he held it with both hands lightly as to not pop it. In flash moment, his grip loosened a bit but the balloon nearly flew away. He was convinced it didn’t want to be his friend. The balloon seemed to go up with a force not found in the wind.

He carefully tied a knot on his trousers and hurried home before it could escape again. Puzzled by the floating balloon he searched on the internet about what strange phenomena would possess a balloon to fly away.

He pronounced the words slowly:

H-E-L-I-U-M.

He learned it wasn’t the balloon itself but a chemical lighter than air which caused the balloon to rise. Earnest smiled because he then realized:

Everything ain’t that deep. Sometimes you come to have fun. You might win. You might lose and what you gain can still slip away. Doesn’t mean it has intentions. Life doesn’t have to have a purpose in between your own desires. So come, to the fair for fun – cause if not for fun – what’s the experience for anyway?