Guest Post: Anne Gonnella, Taking a Chance on Wonder and Beauty

 

In keeping with the philosophy of looking for the small delights of home, here is a guest post from friend and former HoCo Blogger Anne Gonnella, whose #dailybug photo series focuses on some of the smallest members of our community.

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Last year I started posting regular pictures of bugs on my Facebook timeline and gave them a hashtag. These #dailybug posts hearken back to three memorable experiences in my life.

Butternut Woollyworm Sawfly on a stick at Font Hill Park

The first happened one summer in college, when I interned as a naturalist in the Metropark system of Toledo, Ohio. One of my favorite duties was leading nature walks for groups of people, often families. I took the groups on short hikes in the woods, stopping along the way to point out interesting things in nature: flowers, animals, trees, and of course, bugs. One day I picked up a Daddy Long Legs, and held it out for everyone to see while offering some facts. The children all leaned in, oooh-ing and ahh-ing and excitedly jostling to see the wriggly bug in my hands. That is, until one of the adults called out in dismay, backing away to the refrain of “Ewww, spider!”  Immediately, all of the children also backed away. It struck me right then in that moment, many years before I was to become a parent myself, that what we say and do matters tremendously to young minds. All of the budding young naturalists were ready to be awe-struck by the wonders of a common arachnid, until an adult in their lives modeled fear and disgust. Daddy Long Legs are as harmless as they get, when it comes to bugs and “spiders” (for they are not actually spiders), but the children’s opinions were immediately tainted by unfortunate behavior modeling. 

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Marbled Orb Weaver Spider in Rockburn Branch Park

The second experience to shape me also happened in college, during an art class. I had some talent and the technical skills to draw something well, but I was struggling with the assigned landscapes and still-life drawings.. Nothing I did had any life in it. I felt discouraged until something changed one day in the school’s botanical gardens. I recall clearly how the students were all drawing rows of potted plants in the greenhouse, and it just wasn’t working for me. I walked away to explore and found myself staring at a tropical monstera leaf, which I then sat and drew, filling the entire oversized page with just one gorgeous leaf. My professor walked in when I was nearly done and said something to the effect of “I believe you have found your perspective.” The lights went on for me. Beauty can be in small things, if you look closely enough.  They can fill the page, so to speak.

Black Swallowtail Caterpillar displaying its bright orange osmeterium in my back yard

Lastly, I recall a hike, right here in Howard County on the Grist Mill trail, when I was an adult in my 30s. My husband and I noticed a tangled mass of black snakes sunning themselves on a rock in the river, so we stopped to watch. An elderly couple walked up and asked what we were looking at, and when we pointed out the snakes, one of them marched right toward the rock to get a better look, scaring them all away in his oblivious haste. They then both told us that they walked this trail all of the time, had been walking it for years, and had never, not once, seen any wildlife. Let me repeat that - this was the first time in all their years of walking that trail to see ANY wildlife, not just the amazing sight of a mess of sunbathing snakes. I still think about this. Why on earth had they never seen any wildlife in Patapsco State Park? Certainly the way the man marched noisily up to the snakes could be a clue; you don’t see a lot of animals when you are loudly crashing through the world. But the lesson I took away with me is this: If you don’t look, you don’t find. Many people barge through the world on a mission without ever looking around them and noticing what they share this world with. I have had people marvel over how many nature sightings I seem to have, but I don’t possess any special Disney princess talent for drawing the birds and animals to me. I simply go outside regularly, and pay attention.

Robber Fly on a chair at the Thunder Hill Pool

And so, the daily bug. I like taking pictures. I’m not a professional and I just use my phone camera most of the time, but it usually does the job. I started sharing bug pictures because I was seeing bugs all the time, since they are everywhere, and I know that most people don’t stop and notice anything that isn’t a bee or a wasp or a spider that got too close to their body to ignore.  Bug pictures were my little niche of overlooked beauty. And they really are beautiful! One of the coolest things about bugs is that there are so very many different kinds, so many that we are unlikely to ever know them all.  They are small, so you will only notice most of them if you are in the habit of looking. And they get a really bad rap. You can’t post a spider picture on the internet without someone commenting that the only answer is to burn it all down and move away, which just perpetuates that bad and mostly undeserved reputation. And I get it - I also don’t want to find a giant spider in my bathroom. But enough people respond with fear and disgust.  I want people to take a chance on wonder and beauty in the smallest and most unexpected places. Let it fill the whole page.       

 

Millipede at Greenbriar State Park

* A note on my choice of the word “bug”. Some people like to point out that my use of the word is incorrect when I use it to label spiders and millipedes and other small invertebrates that are not insects. Some dictionary definitions of “bug” insist bugs are insects. I find it pretty funny that a universal and unspecific word like “bug “ would be attached to something as specific as an insect, when there is a whole world of arthropods out there. I prefer to use the term “bug” to mean any of the abundant and marvelous creepy crawlies I find when I look.

Me, taking pictures of bugs while on vacation at Cape Henlopen State Park

Anne Gonnella is a nature and photography enthusiast in Howard County. Her love of capturing images of all things that fly, frolic, and frisk about is rivaled only by her love of hiking into the woods to find them.

Irate

 

Dear Irate Parent,

Congratulations! You have been selected at random from a larger group of irate parents to be in charge of making weather-related closing decisions for the Howard County School System.

Actually, it wasn’t random. Your online complaints were by far the most accusatory, the most insulting, and the most self-righteous. You were a standout.

Here’s what you need to know:

• You will be responsible for the safety of the students, teachers, staff, and bus drivers in 78 schools.
• You will be provided with all the weather information currently available in our area. It won’t all predict the same thing and it will be changing all the time.
• You will need to keep in mind topographical challenges in different areas of the county.
• You will need to juggle multiple other concerns, such as school lunch programs, required days of school, testing dates, field trips, sports, and performances.
• You will be provided with a list of previous closings where your decisions were determined to be wildly incorrect.

All of this will be coming at you like water from a fire hose and you will have very little time to make a decisive pronouncement.

Don’t worry. From your recent social media tirades, it’s clear that you can make these sorts of decisions with one hand tied behind your back. Your self-confidence is remarkable.

A reminder, though. Whatever you choose, people will be angry about it. Your social media account will fill up with outrage and mockery. Your email box, too. Don’t forget voicemail. I bet your phone will be ringing off the hook.

It’s good to keep in mind that a wrong call could put children in the path of harm or death. Don’t let it keep you up at night, though. We’re sure you’ll have this completely under control. Easy-peasy, right? 

One last thing. Climate change is causing weather events like these to occur more frequently and with more intensity. You won’t be able to rely on past common sense knowledge to understand what’s coming next. It’s a whole new ball game in school weather decisions.

Just think - - you’ll be on the cutting edge! Making decisions in real time! Learning to pivot in an instant! Going where no school system has gone before. Rain, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, snow, ice, hail…

Our whole community will be depending on you.

Thanks for stepping up.

Sincerely,

 

Benches Redux

 

You already know I’m fond of benches. My new discovery? Bench memorials. These particular ones are not in Columbia/HoCo, but, bear with me.

In loving memory of Shirley Ann Butler. (1955-2015) 

Amazing Mum and Grandma. 

She loved these swings more than her children ever did! 

Lucy and James XXX

In loving memory of 

Huw Davies 

Used to sit here and shout 

Fuck off! at the seagulls

Someone shared the latter on Twitter with the question,  

Why aren't there bench memorials like this in Baltimore?

My response?

There’d be too many.

But what about here in Columbia/HoCo? Couldn’t we do with a few loving-but-outspoken bench memorials around town? I realize that memorial plaques are usually a serious business, and I don’t mean to make light of anyone’s heartfelt loss.  But not everyone grieves in the same way. A memorial can also reflect the personality and idiosyncrasies of the departed.

A bench like this can provides not only a place to rest, but perhaps a reason to smile.

There may already be a few such memorial benches with candid captions around town. Do you know of any? Is there a place locally that you love so much that you can imagine a bench, with your name on it, long after you are gone? What do you think your family and friends might say about you? Any “quotable quotes” come to mind?

Odd topic for a Monday, I know. 

One last recommendation:  if you love benches too, the Twitter account My Favorite Bench (@MyFaveBench ) is a delight. It’s based in Thirsk, England. There’s a website, too.

Where is your favorite bench?

Look

It’s Sunday. Let’s go to church.

Pearly Young, 77, was killed today in #Buffalo shopping for groceries. 

For 25 years she ran a pantry where every Saturday she fed people in Central Park. Every. Saturday. 

She loved singing, dancing, & being with family. 

She was mother, grandma, & missionary. Gone too soon.

This memorial comes from a tweet by Madison Carter, a journalist who is originally from Buffalo but now works in Atlanta. She was headed back to Buffalo to assist with local coverage of the horrific event that unfolded yesterday at a Buffalo grocery store. 

Buffalo's worst mass shooting takes 10 lives, leaves 3 wounded; attack called 'a racially motivated hate crime' , Lou Michel, Ben Tsujimoto, Maki Becker for The Buffalo News

Of the 13 people shot, 11 were Black and two were white, Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said. Most of the victims' identities weren't released as of late Saturday night. However, sources told The News that one of the dead was Aaron Salter, a recently retired Buffalo police officer working as a security guard at the store, while another is Ruth Whitfield, the mother of former Buffalo Fire Commissioner Garnell Whitfield.

The shooter was allegedly radicalized by online materials easily available to anyone. It appears it wasn’t all that difficult to assemble military gear and weapons, either. With white supremacist hate speech churning through his head, he drove to a shopping area in a predominantly Black neighborhood.

Officials say a gunman’s attack that killed ten was a racially motivated hate crime Emma Bowman, Bobby Allyn for NPR

A racist screed posted online detailed the plan of attack.

The 180-page document is full of racist rants and appears to embrace "the great replacement" white supremacist conspiracy theory that claims that an elite cabal of Jews, corporate leaders and politicians are intentionally diluting the white population through permissive immigration and by promoting diversity.

What’s that? I said we were going to church?

Indeed. Yesterday’s news is the gospel of American white supremacy and unfettered gun access. And here comes the sermon.

All of this matters in Howard County, Maryland. I see white people on social media claiming such events have nothing to do with us here. But the same ingredients that poisoned and activated yesterday’s shooter are just as available here.

Students give testimony documenting racism in our schools.

You ignore it.

Advocates present factual evidence that school policing disproportionately harms Black and Brown students.

You deny it.

Members of the Howard County community speak out and work for diversity, equity, and inclusion.

You call it “race-baiting.”

When you refuse to face the truth of systemic racism in our community, you are providing cover for it. “It isn’t really happening,” is really, “Don’t look over there.”

Don’t read the books. Don’t have the conversations. Don’t listen to people who are different than you are. Don’t respect teachers and advocates and community leaders who make the case for facing the truth.

Deny them. Censure them. Silence them.

But in the dark corners of the internet and in this community the hate keeps drip, drip, dripping like poison , while you say, “Don't look.”

Open your eyes, my brothers and sisters. 

Look. 

Sweets for the Sweet

 

Who doesn’t love donuts? 

Are you a Thrift Store volunteer?

Tomorrow. May 12th, we will have a donut social and organize clothing at our Howard County Thrift Store from 9am to 12pm! 

See you then! 

I’m not particularly a fan of the Salvation Army. I don’t toss coins into their red kettles anymore. But I have to hand it to them for creating the best Twitter thread with donuts that I have ever seen. 

The idea is simple. Invite volunteers to work. Tempt them with donuts. Take photographs for National Salvation Army Week. Easy, right? I mean, who doesn’t love donuts?

Especially Krispy Kreme donuts.

What followed was the most exquisite array of donut appreciation you can possibly imagine.

Photo credit Salvation Army Howard County 

Honestly, not everyone looks this good in staged photos. These people are obviously multi-talented. They will come and organize donated clothes and make your publicity photos sing with enthusiasm.

Just bring donuts.

No, that doesn’t sound right. I think these people would be good sports even without the donuts. Still, I think they should get paid extra for modeling.

Oh, right, they’re volunteers. 

Do you shop at the Howard County Salvation Army store? Do you know any of these people? If so, tell them I think they’re brilliant.

Maybe Krispy Kreme should hire them.

The Small Delights of Home

 

Oh, thank goodness it’s Friday. I can let my mind wander a little.

This post from NPR caught my eye this morning. It’s an episode of their Life Kit series, entitled: 

“How paying attention can help you appreciate what's right in front of you”

Accompanying the twenty minute audio piece is a comic inspired by the piece. I haven’t had time to listen the all of the audio yet, but the comic definitely drew me in. The episode begins:

You know when you go on vacation and you notice every little detail about the place you're visiting? The statues! The billboards! The flowers bursting through the cracks in the sidewalk!

Humans pretty much do the opposite of that when they're in a familiar setting, going on autopilot and failing to notice the small delights of home. It doesn't have to be that way. 

The concept that our lives are so bombarded by distractions that it is difficult to be fully present in one’s immediate surroundings isn’t a new one. But, as our lives become ever more distracted, it’s a message that bears returning to over and over again. During the lockdown part of the pandemic many of us experienced waves of mindfulness in the solitude, whether in nature walks or the sensory connection of baking bread.

It doesn’t take long for that to slip away. 

Artist and writer Jenny Odell, interviewed for this episode, is the author of  How to do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy. The comic, written and illustrated by Connie Hanzhang Jin, adds a visual element to Odell’s suggestions on ways to detach from the daily grind and be more present in the here and now.

As I scanned the comic’s images something leapt out.

Paying consistent attention to one thing can reveal more info over time. Like this statue by Sarah Doherty that I pass almost every day where I live in Baltimore.

Wait, what? There’s a moai statue in Baltimore? Apparently there is. Here’s a piece from the blog Charm City Street Art: Weekly Images: 11.12.12

Photo by Caitlin Rose

Artist Sarah Doherty is a professor at MICA. I found a subsequent photo taken in 2016 that shows a huge amount of change from the original.

Photo by Kathy B.

I wonder if the artist has returned to replace the stucco that had worn away over time. I also wonder what the process of change would have looked like, day after day, for regular passers-by. There’s quite a bit of difference between the two photos. 

Who noticed? Who was there but never saw?

Back when I traveled from school to school one of my favorite sights was a enormous rabbit statue near Dayton Oaks Elementary. It was standing upright, a quite unexpected part of the suburban landscape. Not only whimsical by its very existence, the rabbit (was it cement?  or stucco like the Baltimore moai?) was regularly decorated for major holidays such as Christmas and Easter. I definitely watched that rabbit over time, through seasons changing, through holiday decorations, rainy days and sunny ones. 

Gosh I loved that rabbit. I truly regret that I never stopped the car and got a good photograph. It’s gone now. First cracks appeared and then chunks began to fall off and then it just simply went to pieces.

Your simple walk around your neighborhood is complicated in a lot of ways. Some of them may induce wonder. Some of them may induce despair. But I think I would rather be attentive to all of these things than to just kind of move through the world.

Give yourself some free-form time and space today, and over the weekend, to connect with what’s all around you.

It Ain’t Over

 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

Things are not going so well in the COVID department. Cases are going up, up, up. The increased spread within local schools even made the paper.

Worthington Elementary School in Ellicott City reports outbreak of 27 COVID-19 cases, Allana Haynes, Baltimore Sun

The County Executive keeps doing his part by informing the public of best practices and current cases reported.

In the meantime we have removed expectations and/or requirements that were helping to prevent the spread: masking and physical distancing, for example. As the removal of those protections leads to an increase in cases, schools no longer have access to backup support from central office because it has been assumed that the crisis part of the pandemic is over. 

It isn’t. 

COVID, on the other hand, is doing quite well, supported by those in the general public who would rather aid and abet an illness than modify their own behavior in order to care for others. You know who I mean. They are the ones who respond to public health posts like this:

They might as well have special frames around their Facebook profile pics:

“Working together to spread COVID”

“Masks? You can’t make me!”

“Vaccines are poison!”

“It’s only a cold.”

“It’s my right to get back to normal!”

Does it make any sense that some people would rather root for a disease that can cause long term damage or even death instead of committing to keep themselves and their neighbors safe? 

No, it doesn’t.

And have we forgotten that children under five still can’t be vaccinated?

Last week, on May 4th, the death toll from COVID in the US reached one million. You would think that number was big enough to inspire some reflection even in affluent Columbia/HoCo. But no one wants to talk about COVID anymore. I wonder if its ongoing presence will even rate an acknowledgement in upcoming political races. Are BOE candidates addressing it? 

“We’re done with that now,” I can hear people saying. 

Wishing won’t make it so. As much as we cover our eyes or our ears to shut out the truth, it’s still there. COVID isn’t done with us.

Are we going to do anything about that?