When I talk with my parents I try to think of the most benign and "safe" things to discuss so we can keep things peaceful. Since my parents are Christian to the point they won't have anything to do with non-Biblical topics, this can make conversation hard sometimes.
They like for me to "check in" with them during the day. If I don't they call my cell phone and keep it up until I call them back. So I usually find time during the day to call them from work. Yesterday I happened to mention that a bat had been flying around and that the poor thing had finally been caught after it had gotten confused and flown into more confined space.
My parents latched onto my use of "poor thing" and I explained that I kind of felt sorry for the bat, though I knew it had to be caught. They said they were worried about my sympathy for it, since bats are "evil creatures."
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. This is the kind of reasoning I deal with almost every day. The safest of topics is never safe with them and I honestly end up pulling my hair sometimes. I was curious as to whether bats are really considered "evil," though, and did some research.
Bats are rather interesting creatures and are not "evil," but "shy, gentle and intelligent." I've also heard that they are very maternal. I always thought they were blind, but they are not...there are so many things I believed about them that are not true:
-https://books.google.com/books?id=jTO23DDYC9AC&pg=PA21&dq=why+do+bats+have+rabies&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Z10AVYf_OebgsAS29YDADQ&ved=0CEsQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=why%20do%20bats%20have%20rabies&f=false
-http://www.nwf.org/Kids/Ranger-Rick/Animals/Mammals/Bat-Myths.aspx
-http://batworld.org/myths_facts_page/
I don't know why I feel sorry for bats, but I do...maybe it's the misunderstood part that gets to me the most. I certainly get "misunderstood."
Welcome to my little corner...All over the map with thoughts, I'm just here to blog about different things: life, music, stuffed animals, restaurants, shops, dreams, film, books, magazines, short stories, food, the sometimes silly, drink, feelings, love and tons more...
2 comments:
Oh my. I can see how talking with your parents could put you on edge - I'd certainly be pulling my hair out. But I get ya, any suffering is suffering, and bats can even be adorable!
I love, though, that you turned that asinine idea of your parents on its head and actually went and did some research on it :)
Thank you! :)
Bats _can_ be adorable! The pictures I saw when I looked up more info on them...well, some of them were downright precious.
Post a Comment