so saturday night i was sitting in the back living room watching tv with rob.

and then.

this incredibly loud and constant chirping began. well, i call it chirping because isn't that what people say when they describe the noise a cricket makes? i tend to think of chirping and birds, but hey, whatever works.

so yeah. this lone cricket starts making a huge racket. behind my refrigerator.

it was driving me insane. i kept turning the tv volume up and up and up and the noise just got louder. the little cricket was unstoppable.

after about two hours of this, or quite possibly three, i thought an evil, horrible thought. i began to wonder how long crickets could live without food, and actually thought to myself ''i wish the damn cricket would just starve or something. die already, you noisy thing!''

and just like that - no noise. silence.

i turned off everything and devoted my complete attention to the kitchen, and nothing was to be heard. for the rest of the night, the only sound to come from the kitchen was the silent hum of the fridge, and the occasional clatter form the ice maker. the chirping was no more.

but i did not feel victorious. no, not in the least. i felt guilty. i had killed a cricket by wishing it dead. do people get any more horrible?

i went to bed that night feeling rather sad. and i had nightmares. nightmares where giant crickets chased after me. nightmares in which little baby crickets looked at me with sad eyes and cried.

(now, let it be known that i'm not a huge fan of crickets, and normally, crickets of any age would creep me out. but it my dream, the baby crickets were actually cute in their own little cricket way, and i felt sorry for them.)

well, i woke up exhausted, and stumbled into the kitchen for some wake-me-up tea...

only to be greeted by the steady chirping of my noisy cricket friend.

ha! so i did not cause it's demise after all! i couldn't have been happier.

and tonight, as i sit here, my little cricket companion is serenading me with a sweet song of spring turning to summer.

silence may be golden, but life is rich with wonder.

(p.s. happy earth day to all!)

any thoughts? (1)����������������