Saturday, November 20, 2010

The exploding spider





In 2000 director Robert Zemeckis made a film called Cast Away with Tom Hanks.
It is the story of a FEDEX plane that crashes but Tom Hanks survives and ends up on an uninhabited island in the South Pacific.
We see how Hanks tries to physically survive and how he psychologically deals with his solitude and rather desperate situation.
One way Hanks applies to avoid becoming insane is to have an imaginary companion.
This is his friend “Wilson” with who he discusses his perilous situation.
However, “Wilson” is not a person.
It is a “Wilson Sporting Goods” volleyball from one of the FEDEX packages that has washed ashore after the plane crashed.
Hanks has painted a face on the volleyball and makes it his avatar friend.



One could claim that the current situation in which the Fuso Szulc finds itself in is in many ways similar to Tom Hanks on his South Pacific island.
One aspect is similar for sure: here it is also out of society.
Away from the hustle and bustle.
No other people in the life for a while.

Then one evening, it getting dark, a spider was noticed making its web in the door opening.
That is a smart spider was the thought, because when completely dark, a light would be switched on inside the Fuso Szulc attracting flying insects coming to the door opening ending in the web of the spider.



The next evening the spider was seen again making his web and getting ready for his night snacks.
Until it was understood that the spider was living there.
A companion!
As of then, every late evening, the spider is watched how he makes his web.
And it is observed that he is doing well.
Mr. Spider is growing fat as a result of his smart strategy.

This brings back memories from the 70’s.
At the time life then was with a woman from the Netherlands and her son.
Living in a very large house where even was a space to play table tennis.
There was a dog too and dinners with friends and evenings with wood fire and red wine.
Those were happy days for years.
There was of course a bathroom in this house and one evening when brushing the teeth it was noticed a spider was making a web in the window opening.
That time there were also mosquitoes entering the bathroom attracted by the moisture.
The idea came up to catch mosquitoes and plant them in the web of the spider.
This was done and when the mosquito was put into the web, the spider would come running and eat the free food.
This was repeated every night: the spider getting a couple of mosquitoes for supper besides what he was catching himself later.
The spider was gaining weight and growing fat because of this five star restaurant life and that was not seen as an alarming condition.
Until one night the spider, who had become like a pet, was found dead with his main body burst open.
Obviously the spider had been overeating.
Swallowing anything in his web not knowing when enough is enough.
No! His motto was: more, anything, always.
Ending in a bulimia suicide.

It was not a happy moment to find the exploded spider.
Some feeling of guilt came up because there had been an interference in the animal kingdom.
And when humans do this, often it goes wrong with the animals.

So now, the new spider in the life, is seen being successful and growing more and more fat and concerns are arising for his health.
Should he be gently moved to another location maybe?
Friend Wilson made into a volleyball again?




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