Rants And Raves: July 11, 2010

Thursday, July 15, 2010

A Story About Activity Without Purpose

John Henry Fabre, the great French naturalist, conducted a most unusual experiment with some Processionary Caterpillars. Processionary Caterpillars blindly follow the one in front of them. That's why they are called "processionary"--they travel in a procession.

Fabre filled a flower pot close to the rim with dirt. He then carefully arranged some Processionary Caterpillars in a circle around the rim of the flower pot, so that the lead caterpillar actually touched the last one, making a complete circle. In the center of the flower pot he put pine needles, which is food for the Processionary Caterpillar.

The caterpillars started walking around the circular flower pot. Around and around they went, hour after hour, day after day, night after night. They obtained no nourishment, no rest. For seven full days and seven full nights they went around the flower pot. Finally, they dropped dead of starvation and exhaustion. Which begs the question for us all...

What Purpose Is Your Activity Serving?

A Warning Of Sorts?

"Here beneath rest the ashes of a man who was in habit of always postponing everything till the day after. However, at last he improved and really died...Jan 31 1972"

~Unknown