Roly Poly

I believe God created the world, and everything has a purpose. That said, I don't think we'll be able to pinpoint what the purpose is for everything (or everyone, but that's a topic for another post...).

I sometimes look at something and wonder why it made it through the creative process. I'm not going to get into an evolution debate on this blog, but man, oh, man, you look at certain species and just know that evolution isn't true, because certain species would have been de-selected a long time ago.

Last week, I was a little taken aback when I saw the executive director of my agency outside on his hands and knees by the doors leading into the building. He was re-caulking the corners between the walls and the ground, and at the floor of the doors leading in.

The next morning, there are about a hundred of these little roly poly bugs stuck in the caulk.

I don't know what this says about me, but I couldn't help thinking, Why did God create these things? And why aren't they extinct by now? They obviously aren't too bright.

God, in His creative power, spends time helping these little things reproduce. Just to go jump into the caulk!!! I think of all the things God could have used some creative power on instead of these dunces.

He could have added a little thickness to each hair follicle on the top of my head. That comes to mind.

He could have re-routed a little bit better reception for my cell phone into my office at work, so that I'm not paying roaming charges whenever I get a call there.

Anyway, I can't help but wonder what the difference is between the roly poly that walks up to the caulk and says, "Gee, I wonder why fifty of my buddies aren't moving in that goop" and decides to jump in, verses the roly poly that says, "Gee, I wonder why fifty of my buddies aren't moving in that goop..." and then says, "I'll pass."

Judging by the numbers of bugs in the caulk, "I'll pass" doesn't translate well in Roly Polish, or whatever they speak.

So what are they for? What's the point? They're not smart. They don't serve well as pets. They don't serve some essential role in the food chain, like consuming swine flu before it transmits to humans, at least not to my knowledge. If they do, then we ought to stomp the heck out of all of them, or caulk entire villages if caulk works so well on them, because they're doing a lousy job.

I can't really conjure up a feeling of pity for something like these little bugs. You're not going to hear me approach that door/bug grave and lament, "Aw, poor roly polies!" They're not "sympathetic characters", so to speak, they're not cute (by ANY definition... and I know people that will call overweight bulldogs cute... makes me rethink the definition of "cute"... but no matter how you define "cute", it doesn't apply to a roly poly, period).

I think the concept of "cute" will be an upcoming blog post... all I need is for one more girl that I wish liked me (but just thinks of me as a swell guy at church that gives good driving directions around the north side of Chicago) to call me cute, and then images of Winston my little brother's fat bulldog with an extreme underbite to come to mind, and then I think, I look like Winston?!?!?!

And a classic blog post follows...