Slugs are neat
Andrea Sadowski
I feel like slugs are one of the most underappreciated creatures in the forest. I too once thought these slimy creatures were gross and ugly, until the other day.
I was just chilling in the woods, taking in the sights and sounds, and I made eye contact with a little, itty bitty baby slug that was meandering along some mossy log. Slugs play an important role in decomposition as they mainly eat decaying vegetation with their 27,000 tiny teeth. They have four retractable tentacles on their face, two for seeing and smelling, and two for touching and tasting. The goo that encases their body helps them move around on nearly every surface, and the trail of slime they leave behind is used for navigation and socialization. The majority of land slugs are hermaphrodites, containing both male and female sex organs. Although they can reproduce on their own, sometimes they’ll have freaky slug sex where they wrap their bodies and gigantic penises around each other. Slugs can produce up to 90,000 grandchildren in their lifetime. There are thousands of slug species covering virtually the entire planet, both on land and in water. You might see the famous banana slug on your next walk in the forest; they are the second largest species in the world and can grow more than 20 cm.
So, next time you see a slug in the wild, don’t exclaim “Ew! Gross!” Instead, get down to its level and examine its beauty. Slugs are perfect for admiring because of their total inability to run away. If you’re still enough, the slug might examine you back and you two may start a beautiful interspecies friendship.
Reintroduction to music
Carissa Wiens
Recently, I’ve started listening to music again. For so long, I simply didn’t listen to music. Sure, I played through Taylor’s releases a couple of times this past year, but who didn’t? Otherwise, I listen to audiobooks when I drive to the grocery store and library (the only reasons I leave my house anymore), and silence when I do homework. But after work last week, I felt the odd urge to listen to music. Nothing in particular; maybe just a Spotify playlist. So I laid down on the couch, tucked my favourite pink blanket around me, and placed my partner’s over-the-ear, noise cancelling headphones on my head for the first time. I turned on Coldplay’s Parachutes album.
It was like being in a deep, cozy sleep while absorbing every flawless word Chris Martin sang into my ears. For those 41 minutes and 55 seconds my mind let go of any problem I thought I had whilst falling into my own world. It was bliss.
Since then I’ve spent part of my evenings listening to an album in that same setting. It’s something I now look forward to where I allow feelings of delight, calmness, and serenity wash over me. And guess what I’ve learned through all of this? Music is pretty great.
Slivers of silver linings
Jeff Mijo-Burch
So the last year-and-a-half has been, to put it mildly, pretty bad. But with over half of Canadians vaccinated and COVID-19 cases dropping quickly, it seems like a good time for a bit of positivity. So here are five nice little side effects from my personal experience of this weird, horrible time.
- It’s been a perfect chance to try new things with our hair. I grew the biggest beard I’ve ever had, and discovered that I don’t like having a big beard!
- As someone lucky enough to work from home, I can’t remember the last time I had to use a public bathroom. I think it may actually have been March 2020. I don’t miss them.
- Remember last year when gas was like $0.80/litre for a couple weeks? It felt like I was back in 1998, except this time I was an adult who could drive and was terrified of a global pandemic.
- It was really nice when everyone was baking a lot. I don’t have any deeper insight here; I just liked that vibe.
Despite all the stories we see about anti-mask, anti-vax COVID-19-deniers, I think this experience has shown that they’re a minority, and most people are willing to change their lifestyle and make sacrifices to protect and care for their communities. It wasn’t the chaotic apocalypse we’d been warned about by movies. We were asked to slow down, be responsible, and take care of each other. By and large, we’ve done that. And it’s pretty cool seeing that we can.
Genes are inherited, success is not
Chandy Dancey
I feel like once you reach a certain age or level of success, you can really just attribute it to anything and people will believe it without question.
Take centennials for example: people who’ve lived to be 100, who often credit alcohol to their longevity even though other studies show it can possibly shorten lifespan. Is it because you drank a glass of wine a day, Barbara, or did you win the genetic lottery? And don’t get me started on business gurus. Warren Buffett is out here preaching four life choices that separate the doers from the dreamers (even though the tips are basic common sense and also often paraded by a number of self-help books). This is mostly irritating to hear because so many successful entrepreneurs and celebrities have benefited from pure luck — which Buffett has admitted to. Buffett has also mentioned his life would have been completely different if he had been born a woman or into a different family, so kudos to him for acknowledging the struggle that many other demographics face.
In summary, I am possibly a pessimist, but only because I value evidence-based information. And contradictorily, if I live to be 100, I’ll probably go around telling people it was because I ate a pinecone every day — just because it’s harmless and someone might actually believe me and try it.
Images: Iryna Presley/The Cascade
Andrea Sadowski is working towards her BA in Global Development Studies, with a minor in anthropology and Mennonite studies. When she's not sitting in front of her computer, Andrea enjoys climbing mountains, sleeping outside, cooking delicious plant-based food, talking to animals, and dismantling the patriarchy.
Jeff was The Cascade's Editor in Chief for the latter half of 2022, having previously served as Digital Media Manager, Culture & Events Editor, and Opinion Editor. One time he held all three of those positions for a month, and he's not sure how he survived that. He started at The Cascade in 2016.
Chandy is a biology major/chemistry minor who's been a staff writer, Arts editor, and Managing Editor at The Cascade. She began writing in elementary school when she produced Tamagotchi fanfiction to show her peers at school -- she now lives in fear that this may have been her creative peak.
