Glenn Stewart Coles, 9251 Yonge Street, Suite 8-924, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada, L4C 9T3
Text Box: What if you could look down at your life from above? Unencumbered by the context of your environment, you could see your life from a different perspective. What observations would you make about your path and potential? While walking through the woods, I came upon a nest of tent caterpillars that had just opened. Dozens of tiny creatures, each about a quarter inch in length, swarmed over the silken pouch. They wandered aimlessly, bumping into and crawling over each other. Finally, one of the caterpillars began to climb a branch. Almost immediately, another caterpillar followed. Soon there was a long line of caterpillars climbing up. As the leader reached the first junction, where the branch crossed another, he decided to change paths. The second caterpillar turned as well. Soon, there was a line of caterpillars, bumper to bumper, that flowed up one branch and onto another. At the next junction, the lead bug made another decision, and turned again. This was wise, as the new route led to fresh leaves and food. Again, the line turned. Back at home base, half of the originals still milled about, while the other half had formed a moving line that stretched over three feet. In the midst of one of the lines was a tiny caterpillar. It was about half the size of the others, and faced much disrespect. Unable to keep the same pace, the little one was constantly being passed. Bumped out of the way, he had to grasp the branch at an angle, giving way to the larger adversary. Once passed, the little one regained balance, only to be passed again by the next in line. Finally, the little one reached the second junction. Tired of being pushed around, he saw a new path and took it. The one behind now had to choose which line to follow. Though he chose the common path, the next caterpillar did follow the little one, and soon there were two lines. It wasn’t long until the little one stopped. He had found fresh leaves as well. But there were not as many leaves on the second path as there were on the first, and soon there were many caterpillars turning around and trying to get back into the main line. As I left, I knew that all of the caterpillars were secure, as all paths led to survival. The tree they were on was covered with small budding leaves. What can I read into these observations? The leader took a random path. He (or she) simply began before the others. There were numerous branches stemming from the nest, but all of the caterpillars followed the same path. Every caterpillar was both following and leading. The caterpillars at the end had no idea who or where the leader was. Choosing to emerge from the nest, you might as well go where everyone else is going. Every caterpillar had a chance to be a leader. Any one of them could have begun the line, and every one of them could have turned at a junction. However, for that group of caterpillars only two made decisions. The first was an average caterpillar, similar to all of the others. The second was a little one, the runt of the litter. In the entire line, none were smaller. And yet the path of many came from the need of the runt to find a new way. Even when they find food and grow, they have no idea what will happen to them. Those not eaten by birds or other insects will one day wrap themselves in silk, and begin a transformation beyond imagination. Standing above the caterpillars, it was easy for me to determine the best path. I could not show them, so I simply had to observe. I knew that their survival was random, though individual choices could extend or shorten existence. Each caterpillar made a choice. There is nothing in this world that we see that really has meaning. Events only have meaning when we choose to give them meaning. Our assumptions may be right or wrong, but the meanings we create express our choice of what to learn. © Copyright Glenn Stewart Coles, 2005 First Published May 7, 2000

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Soon, there was a line of caterpillars, bumper to bumper, that flowed up one branch and onto another.