So I was at a going away party for a friend of mine (J over at Grover's Corners). I was standing in the kitchen, talking with a group of fun people, when I noticed a june bug flying around over the counter and headed towards the table of food. June bugs have to be some of the dumbest most unwieldly bugs that I have ever seen. But they are harmless.
It was instinct, then, for me to reach out and grab this bug, and by doing so save the food. It wasn't a big deal, and I did it, tossing the bug back outside where it belongs. But then there was quite the commotion about it. Several people made comments about it, as if it were a grand heroic deed. Of course, you have to realize that there were quite a few gay men in the room. So, apparently, grabbing a bug is a pretty heroic feat.
I made a comment about how it was no big deal, as I had worked at camp. This excuse was brushed aside though, because many of the other people in the room had worked at church camp. Of course, I have a particular story from my time at camp that makes dealing with this june bug not a very big deal. I''ve probably told it on this blog before, but I'm a repetitive story teller. You can ask my friends, they'll vouche for it.
I was working at camp, and that week I was a counselor with junior highers. It was after evening worship and the sun had gone down and we were all getting ready for bed. The campers were filing back and forth from the shower house with their toothbrushes, getting ready for bed. I was sitting at one of the picnic tables in the middle of the bunkhouses, talking with a couple other counselors and monitoring the comings and goings of the campers. And that's when we heard it. There was quite the commotion coming from the boy's bathroom, and several boys came running out with panicked looks on their faces.
I immediately jumped up and ran over to see what was going on. Judging by the reaction of the boys, I was expecting a fight or something. But that wasn't what it was. At all. Apparently, someone had left the bathroom door open with the light on above the mirror. While we were up at evening worship, a large number of june bugs had been attracted by the light, flew into the mirror, and then fell onto the bathroom counter. And now the counter was covered with dazed and bewildered june bugs, most of which were on their backs, unable to figure out how to get back up, yet still trying to fly.
The boys were freaking out, wanting to brush their teeth, but not wanting to get anywhere near or to touch these bugs. So it was up to me, the counselor, to rectify the situation. What did I do? Well, I used my hands and started scooping the bugs off of the counter, then I walked outside and dumped them into the grass. Although june bugs have very clingy legs. So there was a lot of shaking to get them to let go. After three or four trips, I had gotten all the june bugs off of the counter and now the boys could safely brush their teeth.
So, to me, reaching out and grabbing one maverick june bug wasn't a big deal. I mean, it wasn't like it was something really scary... like a bat...
Oh, and speaking of camp... I get to go with my confirmation kids to camp next week! I am so excited and have been looking forward to this for months! Althoug I've been looking at weather.com to see what the weather is supposed to be like, and we're forecast to be overcast and rainy all week... Life is so unfair...
How am I supposed to be entertained if you only post once a month ;) ?
Posted by: RuthRE | June 28, 2008 at 08:42 AM
Well, June bugs will POOP on you, if you aren't careful.
Lots and Lots of June Bug Poop.
Posted by: rev mommy | June 28, 2008 at 07:23 PM