Taking a Lesson from the Ants - Dr. Ed Iannuccilli

Taking a Lesson from the Ants - Dr. Ed Iannuccilli

Sometimes, an ant can control your life.

I’m not sure why I segued to ants today as my previous columns about cooperation, interaction, and stresses of day-to-day life seemed to be unrelated to ants. But, after observing my patio ants for a bit, I realized, “No, there is a relationship.”

Diane and I can get a little obsessed with keeping ants out of our house. Thus, the notion that they, at times, might control your life. When I see mounds of unearthed sand on the patio, I want to shift into attack mode and employ oil or hot water, but I do not. Rather, I simply cover the holes with the uprooted sand.

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The other day, before I undertook any shock and awe upon my visitors, I paused to observe. As I watched these fascinating, creepy crawly Hymenoptera (homework discovery) I realized that this column might be the perfect follow-up to the previous two. I drifted to thoughts of my childhood.

My Dad gifted me an ant colony when I was a kid. It was a two-sided, see-through glass column packed with white sand. Once I set up the site, I sent for the ants. They were undaunted by their journey with the postal service. When I opened the package and released those black beauties, they acclimated to their abode, and, undaunted and frisky despite travel, they immediately went to work. Near heroic, they moved mounds of sand to build their tunnels.

They scampered, communicated, and cooperated; all working for the greater good. I guess that I would have seen the same if I were able to peer into those tunnels on my patio. Though I heard nothing when I refilled the holes, there must have been an alarm that sounded. Out of the open holes came a cadre of frenzied ants, communicating by touching noses, some even carrying eggs. The next day, the colony was at work again. The holes were reopened. In and out they scampered carrying stuff.

So here I go with the metaphor. And maybe a few similes.

In my last GoLocal piece, I wrote about spirituality. How can ants be spiritual? Because they symbolize loyalty in the spirit of challenging work, cooperation, and perseverance.

And ponder this. Strength aside, the real reason ants have succeeded in colonizing almost every continent on earth, is because of their teamwork. They don’t kill each other; they work for themselves and their communities. They are symbols of cooperation, carefulness, communication, responsibility, and trustworthiness.

Caring for fellow citizens, ants working together is a representation of unity for, and endorsement of, the greater good.

Learn from the ants. They are a symbol of willpower, stamina, honesty, sacrifice, and loyalty. They work as a team. They achieve great heights. They don’t leave their fellow ants unrepresented. They help each other.

These days, I am no longer obsessed with eliminating ants. Rather, I am learning from them.

I am thinking that some of our politicians might enjoy the gift of an ant colony.