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The Insect Who Lived


Odd how listening to satellite radio this morning, and observing a small bug crawling across a tiled bathroom floor later in the day, could evoke similar thoughts about the same subject, but then the mind works in it's own peculiar way sometimes. The subject is life after death, or, to be more precise, the existence (or not) of a soul. Contemplating such a topic is not unique to yours truly. It has vexed humankind for eons. This morning, however, gave me pause.

I'm in the car, listening to the radio. The Big '80s on 8 channel on Sirius/XM, because I'm old, and listen to the music of my childhood from three decades ago. Anyhow, it suddenly occurred to me -- in one of those bleary-eyed, morning stupors -- how remarkable it is that there all these real things that we cannot see, all around us. Wi-Fi, satellite radio, etc. they're there all the time, ready for their respective receptacles. It made me wonder: Could souls also be there, hanging about in the ether, and we just can't see them?

Fast forward a few hours later, I'm in a restroom, and happen to look down and there's a bug, or insect of some sort, crawling about on the floor. It was a small creature, but had the appearance of those creepy-crawly things that we tend to squash on impulse. As it neared me, I wanted to stomp on it, but suddenly refrained from doing so by the thought that it was a sentient being. It would, on occasion, stop, seem to take-in its surroundings, make a decision about how to proceed, and then continue on its way. If I killed it, what would its last moments be like? Would it feel pain? Would it linger, even for a few moments, before expiring?

I didn't squash the bug. It's probably still alive, going about its day in the bathroom, or in the walls of the building somewhere. As I felt some minor smugness at sparing its life, the thought briefly occurred to me, "Does it have a soul?" How different is it, really, from me?" The idea had presented itself before, of course. If -- and that is a very big "if" -- there is such a thing as a soul, who has one? Are they limited solely to humans, or do dogs, cats, sheep, wolves, lions, tigers, bears, and even little insects crawling around on bathroom floors have one? Heck, what about the little life forms we can only see with microscopes?

Where is the delineation -- or is there one -- for the concept of who or what has a soul?

Obviously, I don't have any answers, just postulations. What if satellite radio is akin to the soul? It exists, whether or not we can see it with our own eyes, and even if our car isn't on or tuned-in to it? But, once we select it, then there it is, the radio in our dash acting as a receptacle for the signal. What if souls are like signals, unseen, waiting for the right human receptacles to allow for their fruition? I've always wondered how the whole soul/body thing is supposed to work. Maybe Sirius/XM inadvertently provided an answer?

And why wouldn't there be souls for creatures other than humans? Surely it isn't something that would be exclusive for ourselves? Of course, this all presupposes that souls actually exist, which I am not fully convinced of. They are a rather fanciful notion overall, providing us with more questions than answers. For one: If life exists elsewhere in the universe, do souls get to inhabit organic receptacles there, as well? Is human life on Earth their only experience (aside from the mystical, other-dimensional Heaven concept, with it various permutations across different religions)?

I hope that bug's having a good day.


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