Monday, April 26, 2010

Having a Shell

What would it be like to have a shell? Would you feel protected or would you feel trapped? I guess if you would have always had a shell, you would not know what it would be like to not have a shell and so it would seem normal. I guess if I were a snail, I would be wondering what it would be like to not have a shell. In the photo above, one can see the snail stretched out. Snails move by contracting and expanding their muscles. This forward motion looks somewhat like a "slither." Although snails do have a "foot" below them, it is nothing like our feet. This foot creates a slimy secretion that protects the snail's underside. It seems that snails are a bit more equipped for the wild than humans. After all, they have a shelter on their back as well as built in protection mechanisms. I wonder what it would be like to have a shell, because anytime you felt embarrassed or uncomfortable you could just escape situations and go into your shell. At the same time though, I wonder if it would be something heavy and somewhat awkward to carry, like a large camping or hiking backpack?

I think the weirdest part about being a small creature though would be the being small part. Being 5 foot 7 inches, I could not imagine having to look up to see everything. I suppose if you were in a tree or something though, you would be looking down on others. I sometimes even wonder what it is like to be one of my friends that is shorter than me or my mom (who is also shorter than me). I wonder if they wonder what it would be like to be looking down on them as I do? It's definitely a lot to think about!

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