The Scorpion

A couple of days ago, I found one. He's not my first, and he most certainly won't be my last.

I'm sorry, but just looking at that thing makes me
a little sick to my stomach!

Around where I live, scorpions are quite common. There are two types that live here, scaring the ever loving crap out of me from time to time, but only one kind seems to enjoy the coolness of our home. So far, this summer alone, I think we've come across at least six of them and every time they make me jump. Earlier this summer, I left a bathrobe on the floor, picked it up, went to wash my hands in the sink, and when I looked up into the mirror, I found one of these "beauties" sitting on my shoulder. Even the neighbors heard me scream that day!

Anyway, back to the last one I found.

He was sitting on the bathroom rug, just as cozy as could be. Luckily, it wasnt' a surprise attack, spotting him long before I could step on him (I've been stung twice and my husband once by these scorpions. Don't worry, unless you're allergic they're not any worse than a bee sting. But still...right?) I trapped him under a glass because, believe it or not, these little suckers are FAST! And very feisty. As soon as that glass went over him, he struck like crazy and totally scared the daylights out of me. I looooathe these things!

I called my husband.

"Slide some cardboard under the glass, flip it over, and dump him in the toilet," he told me.

Okay. I can do this. I told myself.

But every time I touched the glass he struck. I was getting a bit nauseated at that point. Finally, I slipped the cardboard as far as I could on the thick rug before it got stuck. I left the scorpion alone for a while to figure out if he thought the cardboard had a nicer feel than the rug.

I guess he thought it did.

When I came back, he was sitting on the cardboard. I held my breath, shoved the cardboard under, flipped the glass and tossed him into the toilet.

I have never seen a more frantic scorpion in all my life. That thing flailed like crazy because he knew he was drowning. My daughter joined me in the bathroom to watch the death at sea.

And you know what?

Watching that little, nasty creature flail like that made me actually feel sorry for him. Yes, sorry. He'd brought his nasty stinger into my life, because he couldn't do anything else with it. It's not really his fault people hate the sight of him (or the pain), and besides, he's just trying to survive in any cool place he can find. But I had a choice. Do I keep something potentially painful, something that's like a ticking time bomb in my life. It's not his fault he was burdened with a stinger. And was making him drown under the weight and pressure of knowing that people hate him really a nice thing for me to do? Or even...dare I say...loving?

For a scorpion, I say yes. Get rid of the little sucker before he causes you more pain.

But an addict . . .

Knowing when to walk away from a harmful relationship is one of the most painful decisions one must make. And only you know if it's right for you or not.

How much pain do we let control our lives? Eventually, none, but it's a long road getting there.

Too bad that pain isn't as brief as a scorpion's sting . . .