August 4, 2009

Walking home through the park today I saw the weirdest looking furry yellow caterpillar busting its ass and its many many legs across the walkway. It had apparently come all the way from the grass on the other side of the path, crossing at least eight feet of black top so far, which was like miles since he was only about an inch long. He was so close to making it to the other side, just about two feet away, and I suddenly got so nervous that someone would come up, unwittingly or not, and step on it or roll over it and kill it. And it looked so sweet and earnest just moving across the busy path in such a hurry, minding his own business yet knowing fully well that at any moment he could be smashed, maimed or otherwise diverted from all of the hard work he'd put in. So I stood on the side of him and stayed there until he had made it well onto that new patch of grass and off to who knows where. The caterpillar watering hole maybe. It was just really amazing how far he had gotten on his own. He didn't need me, I know, but I felt compelled to help. I feel like we can all use someone watching over us once in a while to make sure we cross the road safely. And he really was sweet.