Earlier this week, I was exchanging light banter with one of our clients while standing in the parking lot located outside my office. Our conversation was interrupted when the client stopped mid sentence and announced "Oh, there's a butterfly!" He picked up the insect gently and raved about its vibrant yellow and blue coloring. I flinched as he shoved the butterfly enthusiastically in my direction. "Isn't it pretty?" he said. I feigned admiration. I must have been pretty convincing because he asked me if I wanted to take the butterfly inside. He seemed slightly insulted when I answered no. "Oh. Well. I guess I'll put it over here then." And he placed the butterfly on the ground by the side of the building, presumably out of harms way.
I didn't mean to offend my client's animal loving sensibilities but my office is not a wildlife sanctuary. It is a place of business. What the hell am I supposed to do with a butterfly indoors anyway- put it on a leash and pet it? Seriously. A butterfly is one of those creatures that God intended to roam free in nature. Even a meat-eating, mink coat-wearing, tree-chopping person like myself is sensitive enough to know that. Besides, I can't have butterflies, regardless of their beauty, flitting about the office willy-nilly. It's just not professional.
I don't think our client was thinking in terms of professionalism. After my heartless response, I believe he pegged me as an enemy to all things zoological and reasoned that he'd better place the butterfly as far away from the mean office manager as possible. Although I've never considered myself an animal hater, I must admit he made the right decision. Had he left the butterfly where he found it, I might have inadvertently squashed it as I walked out of the office. Once I realized my error, I would have mourned for approximately a nanosecond and then promptly scraped the butterfly off the bottom of my shoe and kept on stepping.
What kind of cold, cruel, butterfly-hating monster am I?
11 comments:
I have a Black Swallow Tail Butterfly in a mesh tent in my basement. No kidding, either. He's got plenty of room to fly and a piece of fruit and water for nourishment.
Go to your room!
Butterfly hater!
JR - No offense, but shouldn't it be able to fly free in the sunshine?
You are not a butterfly hater. You are a true lover of all things natural.
He should not have picked up the butterfly. But when he did, you should of back-handed him across his mouth, kicked his sheens and stomped his toe. Butterflies should be free to butter and fly – or what ever butterflies do.
If you took the butterfly inside, he would have died. So the client was the heartless one. ;)
And happy pills? Yeah, I used to have a lovely dentist who gave me a prescription for those (I, too, hate dentists). Too bad I moved.
What? I like frogs and children, too, but I don't remove them from their proper places to live in my cubicle.
You were in the right here.
I second the statements of s*, coffeypot and dionna. If this person was such a butterfly lover he would have admired it without touching it. It is bad to touch butterflies, or at least their wings, because it removes some sort of substance which is important for them be able to keep flying. At least if what my kingergarten teacher taught me is true. Bitch probably made the shit up. But anyway, leave the butterflies be!!!
It may not be professional, but a buttefly-office sure would be purty, you butterfly hater.
Shoulda ate him. The butterfly. Right there in front of Nature Boy. That would 'bout do it.
Well, would it have made any difference if it had been flitting around carrying a briefcase??!!!
I thought you were going to say inadvertently stepped on it and then give it a proper burial!
Of course, if you were me, a teacher on yard duty, you'd have to do your duty and let the kid bring it in for a few miiutes and then make a big production about letting it free into its own environment. You would have to create a kind butterfly moment and weave it into a teaching moment by teling them of the 4 stages of life and letting them do pictures!!!
Here from Steve's..thought I shpould meet another integral part of his, "Y'all"!
Yeah, once a creature gets in the house, that bugger's on its own.
Post a Comment