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Moths vs. Butterflies
There I was in my living room, minding my own beeswax, when a moth started circling around the room. “Get it!” I screamed in a high, shrill voice, “before it lays its eggs in my hair!” You may think that my response was disproportionate to the actual threat posed by this errant moth, and perhaps you are right. I’ve been thinking it over. Would I have had such a reaction if it had been a butterfly instead of a moth? Not likely. First, of all, what self-respecting butterfly would come into my house? Moths, they like to set up shop. But it isn’t their fault. The moth is a much-maligned creature. Just because it doesn’t have the beautifully patterned and colorful wings and the elegant style of the butterfly doesn’t mean it should be a pariah. I can do without the wool-eating moths and pantry moths that sneak into your home in a bag of rice. I’m not talking about those pests. I’m talking about those big moths with furry bodies, beady eyes, and drab attire—you know the ones. I can’t wait to take a picture of a monarch butterfly that has landed momentarily on a flower. It flits gracefully before moving on to the next flower, and I admire its role as a pollinator. Meanwhile, the moth waits until nighttime to fly about recklessly searching for light. To me, the butterfly is to the moth as Grace Kelly is to Danny DeVito. Just like there are more Danny DeVitos than Grace Kellys out in the world, there are many more species of moths than there are butterflies. One moment I’m as sophisticated as a Grace Kelly and the next, I’m bumbling around like a Danny DeVito. In the end, moths and butterflies are all just Lepidoptera trying to get along in this world, just the way we are all just Homo sapiens doing the same thing.
Stay safe and healthy,
Tracy Jacobs
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