Silly Critters.

When I began my most recent job back in 2006, there was an umbrella tree that was in my office. They tried to move it with the person who moved out, but it wilted, so they moved it back… it really thrived in that particular office.

One day a pink, rubbery, plastic ant showed up in the tree. I don’t know who put it there, but she was kind of cute and I let her be. A couple months later, my boss brought in a purple one she had received in the mail from one of the vendors and smiled, feeling a little bit silly, as she put in the tree next to the pink one. The IT Crew had a blue one in their office and, a few months later, without pomp or circumstance, he joined the pink and purple one.

They kind of became my office’s mascots. People would come in to ask questions or talk, and they would mindlessly move them around in the tree or play with them. It was kind of a neat thing.

The IT Crew started kidnapping them. Back in April of 2009, I found the blue one taped to the power strip behind one of their computers. I had missed him within a day, so I investigated and eventually rescued the poor thing. A couple months later, the pink one went missing and another investigation ensued. The mystery was eventually solved by the gal in the IT department. She text messaged me and said not to worry, I’d find the pink one when I left for the day, because she had been taped to the window of my car!

It became a game, something fun, a connection. When I was terminated, the critters came home with me. After about a week, I realized the critters could be an easy way to maintain a connection with my friends. Everyone had played with them, everyone remembered them.

So, I started a blog for the little critters and emailed the IT Crew the link. It’s something for me, and it’s something for them. Maybe it brings a smile to their faces for a moment.

A smile or an adventure is always a good thing, because there will never be another moment exactly like the one you are living now.

Just thought I’d share: Link