Since I can remember I have always had a fascination with insects. I had a visit from a lovely Katydid this morning which inspired me to write about my earliest memory of bugs.
When I was around the age of four I was introduced to as what we know down south as a "Roly Poly". I was amazed by tough little shell, the fact they didn't sting or bite made them even all the more tempting to pick up and play with. I would find them as often as I could and I would let them crawl all over my hands and arms, because I enjoy the sensation of their tiny little feet against my bare skin.
I soon realized though, that these little guys didn't enjoy my picking them up and would curl themselves into a little hard ball, which wouldn't open no matter how hard I would try to coax them back out. So out of anger and of innocence I decided if they weren't going to come out I would smash them between two pennies from my piggy bank.
Of course being a young child I had no idea what I was really doing, not until my daddy caught me. One day I killed one in front of him. In his word he tried to explain that I was hurting them. I had no idea, I was really hurting them. I was to young to understand that. I felt so bad, and never killed another Roly Poly.
As an adult a refer back to this memory and I try my best not to kill anything, especially a bug. I always do my best to set them free before anyone else tries to either.
