Worms

“It’s raining WORMS!!”

I was leaving Rib Lake elementary school Tuesday morning and passed the frazzled father attempting to lead his son into the building and not get soaked in the heavy drizzle.

Moments before, the boy had pulled his father to a stop to point out the rather large earthworm that was squirming on the sidewalk in the path leading up to the school building. The father had paused to tell the boy that the worm was there because it was raining.

You could almost see the thought process take place as in the logic of youth, the worm being on the sidewalk due to it raining was the result it coming from the rainclouds and not due to the worm attempting to escape the water logged soil.

A day that worms rain from the heavens is a Red Letter day in the life of any early elementary school-aged boy. And, after all, why wouldn’t it be? Worms are pretty cool critters after all.

The boy shouted out his excitement to those of us hurrying past attempting to get to our own vehicles before getting too soggy.

It has been a long time since I had any small children stop me to point out worms on a sidewalk, or any other super cool treasure they had found. As our children grow up and life gets increasingly busy, there is little time to stop and notice such things. With no one to point out the large worm squiggling its way across the sidewalk, we just keep on trucking, oblivious to what is underfoot.

There is always time in the life a small child to be amazed. Or, at least there should be. It is this ability to be amazed that we lose as we get older.

For adults, worms on a sidewalk during a rainy week triggers thoughts of if our sump pumps are working as they should or if we would be surprised with a clean up when we get home. We see mud puddles and think of the dirt that will be tracked into our cars and homes, rather than the joy of stomping in them and spraying water as far as we can.

I am sure that at some point during the day on Tuesday, some teacher or other well-intentioned adult will have taken the time to explain to the boy that while the rain brought out the worms, they came from below the soil rather than from the sky. Regardless of the fact that correcting his misconception is the right thing to do and pointing out the science of worms breathing through their skin is by itself pretty cool, I am just as glad that I did not have to be there to see his world get just a tiny bit less magic and amazement.

By comparison to the lives of generations before us, we live in a literal age of wonder with scientific and artistic marvels grown boring through everyday exposure. In many ways the high tech tools and gadgets we surround ourselves with have become a cage of wires and lights that has diminished our wonder at the world around us.

I smiled at the young boy and his excitement over the prospect of worms raining from the heavens. His excitement and exuberance at this imagined discovery was enough to brighten a dully gray day in what has been a long series of dull gray damp days.

We have the choice to see the wonder around us, but we have to make the choice to look up from out phones and our screens to make it happen.

If you will excuse me, I will be out counting the worms on my driveway and stomping in puddles. Feel free to join me if you wish.

Brian Wilson is News Editor at The Star News. Contact Brian at BrianWilson@centralwinews.com.