Me, Myself, & I

 

I grew up calling the little guys that emerge from these shells as locusts. Wrong. They are cicadas. Here is a great article on the difference. Basically a locust is a grasshopper and looks like one. But I am not the only one who believed(s) this. Whew, that’s a relief. (ha ha). Apparently it stems from the bible, and the locust invasions. It’s funny how many things are held as absolute come from there. When I asked my mom once about the bible and how does anyone know that it isn’t just a bunch a fiction written by some guys sitting around she was not pleased to say the least.  My mother was very loyal, rather naïve, and very stubborn. A good person to have on your side, if, of course you agreed with what she said. Sometimes that was not easy to deal with. She also believed a lot of “old wives’ tales” and refused to believe a lot of things, even provable ones. She pronounced parmesan “parm-eee-sion” which of course got me laughed at the first time I asked for some at a friend’s house. Ahhh, the good ol’ days! My poor mom. She meant well.

Here is a photo of a cicada shell I found on my Milkweed plant. I used to collect them as a kid. I still think they are super cool. As are the insects. The cicada. I miss that sound pouring in through my open windows. It was wonderful last summer. Which reminds me, I have to tell my kids that these are cicadas, not locusts. It stops here. Now pass the parmesan.