If you drop a spider off a high building are you killing it or just setting it free?

Spiders seem to be taking over, spreading their webs across every surface and corner of our yard.  Every time I turn around I’m flailing to escape their thin, sticky threads.

So it isn’t a surprise when CJ announces, “Mommy, mommy I found a spider in the house!”

I should tell you that I’m not afraid of spiders.  They’re little and we’re big and WHAT is there to be afraid of, logically?  At the same time I wouldn’t say that I’m exactly a fan.

Efficiency is my primary objective as I pull off a piece of paper towel and advance on the unsuspecting spider.

Make a web in my house, will you? 

CJ’s eyes widen as he watches me. He sees my diabolical plan written out in the whites of my eyes. ”Mommy?  You’re going to SQUISH the spider and throw it in the garbage?”

“Well, ok.  Yeah,” he continues, “We can THROW it in the GARBAGE.”

I pause.

This is not the message that I’ve worked so carefully to communicate. 

In fact, just a few days ago I distinctly remember shouting something about DON’T SQUISH THAT BUG BECAUSE IT HAS FEELINGS AND MAYBE EVEN A FAMILY!

And here I am, wreaking deadly violence on this small unsuspecting critter.

I need to take a different approach.

I sigh. “No, I’m not going to squish it or throw it away,” I tell CJ. 

Carefully I hold the paper towel underneath the spider so that his legs catch on it.  I carry it outside and fling the arachnid interloper across the railing and off our deck.  He’s airborne for a moment, before plummeting to the earth below.

I wonder if that spider will die from falling so far, I find myself wondering.  Can’t it use it’s thread, spiderman-style, to catch a nearby plant and soften its landing?  Or will it smash into the hard concrete and die an instant death?

What do you think?

(deep thoughts here at the Bananas house)

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If you’re looking for the Weekly Writing prompt, I’ve decided to take this week off from that.  Because I couldn’t think of anything and I didn’t feel like it and it’s the last week before school starts and because I can.  But never fear, the next one will be a goody… a THEME for the entire month of September.  Cheerio!

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