The ant and the cicada

Once there was the ant, saver and thoughtful. She was able to look forward, calculating expenses, saving seeds and tiny pieces of whatever for the cold cold winter. I need to save, I need to have, she’d stress

The cicada, shallow and shopaholic, jigging about through hot and shiny summers, wouldn’t bother with savings and other $ issues. Whatever, she’d hum, strolling back into her condo hideout, skinny arms full of nothing but joy.

Then the seed crisis came. A windy, stormy, unpredictable tragedy, whose effects no one was able to imagine.

The ant, who had spent years accumulating all her goods into a private storage, smartly located just a few blocks from her tiny, modest studio, rushed to collect her things back.

“Sorry, we are closed. No withdraw today,” said a note on the storage’s main entrance.

She didn’t lose control and went back the day after.

“Sorry, we are still closed. No withdraw today. Nor tomorrow,” another note informed.

The ant felt a little weird discomfort tapping at the bottom of her stomach.

The fourth day, she literally ran to finally get all her thingy things back.

“Sorry, we are officially closed. For good.”

She was surrounded by a wide crowd of nervous ants, knocking with arms and legs at the door of the storage… And we all know that ants do have power. Eventually, they managed to dismantle the reinforced concrete door. Once inside, they couldn’t repress their shock at the view of the inescapable emptiness of the space.

This is a scam! It’s all gone. Oh my god. How are we going to survive? Please call an ambulance, I am fainting… The drama lasted for hours and the media couldn’t help reporting the breaking news.

“Ants’ lifetime savings are gone, for good.” 

And what about the cicada? You might wonder…

The cicada is out, having dinner with her friends, dressed up with her newest shopping-spree acquisition. Her fridge is empty today and she thought it’d be a good idea to have a bite out. She just got back from a weekend with her boyfriend, which was great “in spite of the new hotel we chose. You know, not that great. But we need to be a little careful, with this crisis!”

Nothing changed in her life and nothing will, as long as she has a job and she keeps buying and eating her seeds. She won’t stop spending, wasting, shopping, consuming. She loves it and that’s all that matters.

The crisis taught all of us a great lesson. The cicada and the ant were both right, doing what they were doing and behaving like they did. But…a few details have to be kept in mind.

It’s OK to save…although you’d better be sure where you store your goods.

It’s OK to live. Why cut out from our lives the few pleasures we have?

It’s even better to save while living. The crisis is made of people and we need to help each other.

If you still have a job, enjoy your free time and keep paying for certain services… (Women: manicure, pedicure, hairdresser, basic clothing needs, the yoga course, a special present from time to time, a dinner out with friends…c’mon! Men: vitamins and proteins for the muscles, clothes for the office/sport, the gym membership, a drink with mates, the latest videogame, that fancy watch strap you saw in the jewellery store, I saw you staring at it!)

There is no point in modifying our habits dramatically, altering our mood and the ones of those around us… All in all, we still have our greatest presents with us: Ourselves living life on earth.

This short story was inspired by a great article written by Ms. Vera Montanari (Director) on the Italian magazine Grazia (http://grazia.blog.it/2009/02/24/la-favola-della-cicala-e-della-formica-ma-con-un-nuovo-finale/).