Chapter 1: A Surprising Conversation

It was an unusual day when a butterfly began to converse with me. "Are you under the influence?" it asked. "Nope, I've been clean for over five years," I replied.

"Are you short on sleep? What did you have for breakfast?" the butterfly continued. I reassured it, saying, "I slept soundly last night and munched on some hummus and chips before I got to mowing the lawn."

"And what medication are you on?" it queried. I laughed, explaining that I'm the only person in my age group who has never taken a prescription drug—absolutely none.

"Why the lawn mower?" the butterfly pressed.

"The grass was getting long, so I started at the mailbox, where wildflowers and tall grass had taken over. The landscapers for the condos had invaded my yard and mowed down most of my flowers, leaving a mess that needed tidying."

Then the unexpected happened. As I approached the wildflowers, a butterfly swooped in front of me, babbling away. "What on earth are you doing?" it asked.

"I'm mowing the lawn," I replied, but it interrupted, "You don’t have a lawn—look at the weeds!"

I argued, "It's still a bit overgrown, and the guy who helps me mentioned it too."

"So who's the boss here?" it asked. I replied, "He works for me!"

"And who is the boss?" it repeated.

"I told you, it's me!" I insisted.

"Then stop!" it commanded.

"Pardon?" I murmured, confused.

"Because we’re hungry! Don’t you see us every day?" it chastised. "No," I admitted.

"Well, you should be more observant," it advised.

"Observant about what?" I asked sarcastically.

"About us! We love to eat. Don’t you?" it probed.

"Of course," I responded.

"What do you eat?" it continued.

"I stick to organic foods, mostly sourced from outside the U.S.," I explained.

"Why's that?" it asked.

"So I can stay healthy," I replied. "Most food produced in America is questionable at best."

"We prefer organic too," it said, fluttering about.

"What’s the issue?" I wondered.

"The food is good right here," it answered.

"What do you mean?" I asked, realizing I was speaking without thinking. "There are flowers everywhere in this neighborhood."

"Not the same," it replied bluntly. "You don’t use pesticides or fog for mosquitoes; everything is fresh. Now you’re cutting down my food!"

"What should I do then?" I asked.

"Maybe wait a bit longer and mow the crabgrass on the other side of the driveway," it suggested.

"Okay," I said, halting the mower and leaving the wildflowers standing tall.

Now I was left pondering who the real boss was—those pushy butterflies! So, I went ahead and cut the crabgrass, leaving the wildflowers untouched. They can stay for now; I don’t mind.

While the rest of the neighborhood maintains pristine lawns, perhaps mine is an oasis, attracting wildlife like deer that roam through my backyard.

In the end, I awoke from this whimsical conversation, even though I had never been asleep. If you can avoid using chemicals in your yard, all creatures will thank you, as I was informed.

Tomorrow, I plan to have another chat with that butterfly!

Thank you for reading.

The video titled "Caterpillar to Butterfly" beautifully illustrates the transformative journey of a butterfly, reminding us of the delicate balance in nature.

The second video, "A Butterfly Flaps Its Wings in Massachusetts" featuring Brooke Ligertwood, captures the essence of the interconnectedness of life, much like my conversation with the butterfly.