The Butterfly Effect Part 1

Day 26: The Butterfly Effect

Today I went hiking with some friends and we took a small break on a beach alcove to rest our weary feet, exhausted wrists, and overextended knees. Did you know knees can scream when they’ve been used too much? Part of me wondered how much farther I could exceed my physical limits, then I talked myself off a theoretically cliff because I chose not to wonder what would happen if a helicopter needed to perform an aerial rescue for me. Fun thoughts though.

“Whoah Oscar, watch out, you almost stepped on that butterfly!”

I immediately froze in place because I have respect for insects that are beautiful and don’t immediately have a craving for human flesh or resort to instinctive murderous intent. There in the rocky gravel of the beach was a small butterfly basking in the sun. Me almost accidentally stepping on it prompted a dangerous question to the group.

“Would you step on this butterfly for a million dollars?”

The guys in my group cheered on in unison: “Absolutely!”

The gals in my group paused to glare in shock and disappointment. Feeling that he was not in possession of the crowd, Jose (the suddenly and randomly elected leader of the butterfly butchers) continued:

“A million dollars, that’s crazy if you DON’T do it! I could pay off my student loans, quit my job, buff out the scratches in my car…”, he continued endlessly.

Lindsay (the suddenly and randomly elected leader of the butterfly bodyguards) spoke up: “Yeah, but Jose, you will always need money and you will always find a way to get it. Killing this butterfly, they will never be able to come back. Are your momentary needs more important than snuffing out the life of an innocent insect?”

I interjected to add more fuel to the fire: “Jose, have you heard of the butterfly effect?”

Jose replied, “Yeah, it’s what happens when I step on a butterfly and get a million dollars!”

@homeroom11 @dragon