The Worm: Preschool Rock Star

A worm was rescued on the playground today. And by “rescued” I mean dug out of the earth, transferred to a bowl with a bit of damp dirt, and paraded around the classroom before some unknown fate befell it--a fate that I’ve been assured did not result in said worm’s demise.

So, you know, a day in the life of a preschool worm.

It’s funny how a simple creature such as the worm can bring so much excitement to an ordinary wet day at school. On our playground, worms are like reclusive rock stars: always hiding just out of sight; a few dedicated fans stalking them no matter how dirty that job becomes; and then, once discovered, the worms get the spotlight. Everyone wants to look and touch and hold the container in which the “star” is traveling. There is much shouting and rejoicing.

It’s like that Every Single Time for Every Single Worm.

Can you remember the last “ordinary” thing you were excited about? Are grownups still capable of abandoning ourselves in discovering something anew? The surprise of an old favorite song on the radio…a twenty-dollar-bill discovered in a pocket…the first lightning bug of summer….

And, maybe, just maybe, on days like today, when a small group of children insist on bringing it in so that I can witness the glory of its existence…an ordinary worm.