Ants, even on the surface level they are extremely satisfying to look at. Orderly lines flowing on the pavement and grass, its almost hypnotic. even so, I find how the uphold themselves to be the most interesting. Their work ethic and devotion to something larger than the single individual, and becoming massive super organisms only seconded by humans. Not to mention, they are among the only insects that seem to see me. not as a piece of meat, or a weird looking tree, but as a living being
Now, I’m not going to sit here and say that ants are sentient by any means. I don’t think I have the qualifications to say something like that. However, I can confidently say they have feelings. The mourning of a queen after her clutch of eggs don’t make it, the excitement of workers after finding a spilled Coca-Cola can.
Maybe I’m just doing what humans are good at and anthropomorphizing things I consider cute, and seeing emotions where there are none. I’m not sure where I was going with this, I just needed something for this blog thing so I picked one of my favorite subjects. that being the study, fascination, and admiration for ants.
joseph, this is brilliant! you took something so simple and made it positively transcend with your beautiful writing style. i can’t wait to see what you write next!
I LOVE ANTS!! When I was a little kid during naptime we would have ants in our room sometimes (thankfully they were sugar ants so I wasn’t as scared.) I would always let them crawl on my hands and arms and watch as they explored, naming them and giving them food if I could. I will not name my daycare for fear of them pinning me as the reason for the sugar ant rebellion, but it’s so nice to see that someone can share a love and fascination for what some view as an insignificant thing.
I really like this post, Joseph! I love the way you described them, especially lines such as, “Orderly lines flowing on the pavement and grass, its almost hypnotic. ” The sentiment that ants see you for who you are–just a person–is beautiful, and it makes me think of them in a whole new light. Its always amazing to see writers share their feelings about the aspects of life that people so often fail to consider, and I hope you continue to write about the things that intrigue you! 🙂