Post by onehandclapping on May 9, 2011 18:53:25 GMT -5
A friend of mine who lives in TN told me that the 13 year Cicada brood is coming out this year. So I decided to look up information about them for the fun of it. While reading about their lives, I found it paralleled my own life.
The female cicadas plant their eggs in small tree branches which take 9-13 days to hatch. ----Nine months in the womb.
The larvae burrow underground for the next 13 years and feed off of the roots of trees. -----I spent 17 years living off my parents "under" their roof. (Ironically there is also a 17 year brood of cicadas)
The larvae climb up above ground and shed their skin. ---I went off to college and began breaking out of the mold my parents tried so desperately to keep me in.
Once the mold is shed, the new adult is vulnerable til it's outer coat hardens. ---I changed my views on life many times for the first couple years out of high school before "landing" where I am today.
The adult males wait a few days then begin "singing" to attract a female. Once found, mating begins. ---Hmmm, find a girl, settle down. Yep that fits.
The adults live for another 5-6 months if they manage to avoid any predatory birds or animals looking for lunch. ---I will probably live for another 5-6 decades barring any run ins with some hungry predator.
The cycle begins again.......
Amazing that we think we are somehow special and different than cicadas. We live a longer version of the same life, but yet think we "do" all this important stuff. It seems almost comically arrogant that we elevate ourselves to some higher status.
I guess I will now refer to my form as one cicada wing beating. ;D
The female cicadas plant their eggs in small tree branches which take 9-13 days to hatch. ----Nine months in the womb.
The larvae burrow underground for the next 13 years and feed off of the roots of trees. -----I spent 17 years living off my parents "under" their roof. (Ironically there is also a 17 year brood of cicadas)
The larvae climb up above ground and shed their skin. ---I went off to college and began breaking out of the mold my parents tried so desperately to keep me in.
Once the mold is shed, the new adult is vulnerable til it's outer coat hardens. ---I changed my views on life many times for the first couple years out of high school before "landing" where I am today.
The adult males wait a few days then begin "singing" to attract a female. Once found, mating begins. ---Hmmm, find a girl, settle down. Yep that fits.
The adults live for another 5-6 months if they manage to avoid any predatory birds or animals looking for lunch. ---I will probably live for another 5-6 decades barring any run ins with some hungry predator.
The cycle begins again.......
Amazing that we think we are somehow special and different than cicadas. We live a longer version of the same life, but yet think we "do" all this important stuff. It seems almost comically arrogant that we elevate ourselves to some higher status.
I guess I will now refer to my form as one cicada wing beating. ;D