Julie Lavender

CONSIDER THE EARWIG
by Julie Lavender

The log I kicked accidentally while walking this morning sent insects scattering. When I looked closer, I realized the creepy critters hiding underneath were earwigs.

I’ve never really cared for earwigs. My displeasure stems from my childhood when the evil-looking monsters crept easily into the old farmhouse where I grew up.

Not as evil as they seem...

However, they weren’t evil at all, but just looked menacing to me with their pincers protruding from the abdomen and disgusted me with the foul odor they sometimes emitted.

                              

Turns out, earwigs aren’t harmful to humans and actually eat smaller insects or decaying vegetation or other icky things. Most don’t even prefer the indoors, but would rather seek out damp soil or compost piles or decomposing plant matter.

An age-old superstition strikes fear in me

Earwigs earned their moniker from an age-old superstition that the insects wriggled into human ears during slumber. That fact terrorized me as a young kid, too, myth or not!

Watching the typically-nocturnal earwigs scamper away, terrified of my presence, reminded me that my initial judgments – of critters and humans – are often unfounded. Some may look menacing or unkind, and some may even smell.

A closer inspection may actually reveal one of God’s masterpieces with a totally different purpose than the one I prejudged.

A good guy after all...

I still prefer that God’s earwigs remain outside of my living area, but at least I’m not terrified of them now. And I’m actually quite thankful they help rid my little piece of the world of tiny bits of decay and decomposing ick!  




What about you? Are there critters that you disliked or were afraid of as a kid, but have a second opinion of now? Share your scary-bug stories with me!