The Villiage Villian

How often to you think about Armadillidiidaes? Never you say? The reason I ask is because today I had a run in with many of these creatures.  They are better known around town as the Rolly Polly. They are scaly, tiny, creepy, crawly monsters that are capable of curling into a tiny boulder and can essentially roll away from danger. How they have survived so long is beyond me. I don’t know about you, but every time I try and roll away from danger, it's because I am on fire. But that’s just me.

When I awoke this morning Armadillidiidaes were the farthest thing from my mind (imagine that). I looked out the window and saw a beautiful overcast sky, a refreshing break from the recent heat wave we’ve had lately.  I decided to take advantage of the weather and quickly packed Colette into the jogging stroller went out for a peaceful run. We headed toward the paseos, a beautiful path surrounded by tall trees and greenery, which seemingly doubles as a crossing ground for the Rolly Polly’s of the world.

Not far into our run did I realize that I was jogging on my toes hopping all over the path attempting to dodge thousands of tiny black prehistoric looking slugs that kept rolling into balls and ironically, kept rolling right under my feet. It was like I was atop a pile of hot coals, knees up and arms whaling. Unfortunately for them, between the 3-wheeled stroller and my two clumsy feet, Colette and I must have slaughtered the entire North Valencia empire of Armadillidiiaes. It was gruesome. I will hear the crunching of their skeletal bodies in my dreams.

As we exited the Paseos and neared closer to home I began reflecting on the gory scene that had just taken place. Should I feel guilty about what I had just done? Should I be punished? Should I attempt and correct the wrong I have done? Maybe build a tiny fence that keeps the Rolly Pollys off the path? Hmm.

Then I realized, thank goodness I’m not Buddhist. I’d be in big trouble. Maybe reincarnated into a Rolly Polly whose fate lies with a mother and toddler duo running awkwardly and wrecking havoc on the villiage. Or that Karma would turn around and have me smashed by some giant somewhere. It’d only be fair.

Well, like I said, I am not Buddhist. Therefore, if you are a creepy, crawly, scaly, crunchy, skeletal, petrifying creature, then keep away from Colette and I. We will stomp you.

**Karma is a Sanskrit word from the root "Kri" to do or to make and simply means "action." It operates in the universe as the continuous chain reaction of cause and effect. It is not only confined to causation in the physical sense but also it has moral implications. "A good cause, a good effect; a bad cause a bad effect" is a common saying. In this sense karma is a moral law.**