All humanity is connected, just like a spider web connects a spider to its prey. I know this because I’ve spent hours watching spiders spin webs, wait, and then blast anything that lands in those webs with a shot of venom. Maybe I need some hobbies, but spider watching is among the most beautiful sights in nature to me. Once a spider weaves its web, it hides and then awaits a vibration that signals that something is caught. Then, it streaks down the web with grace and speed and then acts upon what it finds. Spiders feel those vibrations and then act upon them.
In many ways, I think an invisible web connects all of humanity. We feel certain vibrations and then act in some way or another. For example, a song may play on the radio and when we hear it, we may burst into song. Or, we watch a movie and it’s so exciting that we spontaneously erupt into applause. It’s those emotions and signals that we all feel as a single organism.
That’s why I think we should all remember those who right now are facing depression, anxiety, and drug and alcohol abuse. Even if we aren’t aware, right now, someone is contemplating suicide. Right now, someone is injecting a needle into his arm; right now, someone is drinking too much. We may not be aware of everyone who’s suffering, but I can’t help but think that at some point, we will feel the vibration of his or her pain. Maybe we’ll feel it when we see a story in a newspaper about an alcohol-related death or hear about another youth committing suicide. When we learn of these sad deaths, I believe we feel a sense of loss and hurt, if even if just a little.
I’ll continue to watch spiders when I’m lucky enough to find them active. Every time that I do, I remember the invisible web that connects us all.
