The New Bug Man

Back in Eugene we had a favorite local musician named Rich Glauber, who ruled the stage with serious bravado and demanded the spotlight. And by that I mean he could frequently be heard hollering from stage, “Hey Lady! Yeah, I’m trying to entertain your kids right here, ya see, and you and your cell phone are stealing my scene!” WHile I could blog all day about his strong arm way of actually charming kids (probably because they delighted in seeing their mom’s disciplined from front and center infront of all of their friends) this is not the point of my story. My kids lovingly called Rich the Bug Man because of his charming song Bizzy Bugs. We couldn’t get enough of it and we sang it all the time. Once we caught him in a parking garage beneath the library and Hannah jane chased after him calling out, “Hey bug man! I’m your biggest fan!” He explained that bug man was not his name and he was late for his gig. Ha ha. He never failed to entertain.

Well, a new little man has taken the name bug man. Hunter, with his most sensitive soul, has become a bug whisperer of sorts. He charms grasshoppers and moths, lady bugs and rolly-polies into his tiny hands with such love. They actually crawl all around him and don’t hop off. It’s so cute. Hannah Jane will beg him to get her a bug because truly no one can woo bugs to the quite like Hunter.

Last wekk we were sitting in front of the AVA waiting for Hannah Jane to get out of camp and Hunter ate a piece of grass. I told him not to eat it because i mighth have chemicals on it. “What kind of chemicals?” he asked. I told him the kind to kill bugs and weeds. “People want to kill bugs!?!?! Like lady bugs???” he asked as the tears immediately elled up in his eyes. I had to rock him in my arms for quite a while to calm him.

The next night at dinner Hannah jane told usthat Hunter had finally succeeded in catching a bee without getting stung. Immediately we cheered for him (he’s bee attempting this feat for quite a time now) only to look over and find his lip quivering and more tears flowing down his cheeks. “What’s wrong, Huner-Roo?” We asked. “The bee died in the cup I was keeping him in and now he’ll never get to make me honey!” he sobbed.

He is such a tender hearted little guy. No bug is uncherrished. He can frequently be found marrying worms, telling rolly-polies not to worry because he’ll get them back to their mommy and daddy bug. In his mind, every bug has a family, and a hobby. This one likes to play hide and seek while that one likes to paint with mud. It’s too sweet.

So move aside, Rich. There’s a new bug man in town. And this one can charm the ees right out of the trees.

The original Bug Man can be found at http://www.richglauber.com/index.html He’s worth every penny!!!!