What makes you different from everyone else
Of course, because we are ALL individuals, I could come up with a long list of things that make me unique and who I am. But there is one thing that I think I could almost guarantee not one of you ever did in your entire life. I would not recommend it at this point in life, but I still remember doing it. And my mother will attest to the fact.
Ok, so I was still just a baby and my parents decided to go camping. They've always loved carting up the heavy canvas tarp and all the warmest wool blankets they could find and heading for the hills for a weekend of getting away from the heat of the summer. So when I was a baby they went camping with me and my two brothers, Arnie and Ron. I am guessing this was the summer of 1953 and Mom was pregnant with David, and the Blue Hills south of Twin Falls were beckoning.
I was at the age where I put everything in my mouth (I am still at that age, by the way), and so when I found an ant hill to perch myself upon, Mom said she just joked with me and said, "Go ahead, Bug, put that in your mouth, too."So I did.
Which is not totally unpredictable. Babies are happy to try everything, and you probably figure as an infant you maybe tried one or two as well. But the fact that thereafter I was fascinated with the feel of ants crawling around inside my mouth [which is a totally and completely (I know, redundancy) abhorrent thought to me today] that fact is what was not predictable. I continued to be intrigued with eating the little creatures for years after. I remember later in my elementary years one day meeting an older girl on the bus who said she remembered me a toddler living near her (that rental home off Blue Lakes Blvd mentioned in an earlier challenge post), and always going out and eating the ants. I'm actually not 100% sure why I stopped eating them - I suspect I got tired of them latching onto my tongue - and I do not remember coming to any sort of grand revelation one day that made me give them up, but I'm grateful I did stop. Today, even with a hundred dollar bill and covered with chocolate, there is no way you could coax me to eat one, let alone a whole pile of them. Yuck!
Anyway, I confess, it was me ... who ate the ants at the picnic. And that's what makes me different from everyone else.
Tell me, what about you? What makes you different?
4 comments:
Oh - the things I'm learning about my "perfect" kids now that you're all grown up! My recollection re: the eating of ants is only a one-time affair. Now I know the truth! Sure love the artwork!
Okay, believe it or not, I had a college roommate who ate ants once in awhile and tried to convince me that they taste like sweet-tarts. I never tried them, but maybe you could tell me if it is true? Funny little confession!
Julie, I really don't remember what they taste like, but it must not have been nasty or I definitely wouldn't have kept eating them.
And Mom I was sure you knew about my habit, because that girl said she remembered taking me to the door and telling you. That's funny. (Congratulations, by the way! It's so fun seeing a comment from you!)
That's probably one of those "dares" that I'd never do. I always do smell the milk when someone asks me to smell it.
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