Ever since I heard the story of crabs in a bucket — that no crab can escape because the others pull it back — I’ve been intrigued by how much we humans resemble them. Why do we do the same? Why pull others down when they try to climb up?
For years, I couldn’t find a satisfying answer. Not until today. Now I know that both crabs and humans are tied by the same number — the less of magic and more of tragic number — Ten. Crabs have ten claws, and humans have ten fingers, both occasionally used for bringing others down.
If you’re sympathetic to today’s school kids and agree they have justifiable reasons to hold a grudge against Ten, think about the early Romans! Their punishment for mutiny or cowardice was called decimation — where one in every ten soldiers was executed. Talk about giving a number a bad reputation.
Yet, paradoxically, Ten also represents perfection — the first double-digit number, a flawless score. The complete set of fingers that help us build, create, and type out complaints about the unfairness of life.
Maybe that’s the real irony — Ten gives us everything we need to lift each other up… and everything we use to pull each other down.
And fittingly, here we are in the tenth month of the year, with this little musing on Ten written in response to a prompt by Poets and Storytellers United.
Love your musing! Thanks for participating at P&SU! Hope you come again; look for a new prompt every Friday.
ReplyDeleteI’m so glad to have found Poets & Storytellers United! At a time when most people prefer to watch and listen, it’s refreshing to discover a community that still loves to write and read. I’ll definitely be coming back regularly.
DeleteCrab mentality of some humans is so true.
ReplyDelete10 is a great number with the perfect score and first double-digit!
Ten is auspicious like Dashavatar & also evil like Dashanan- Ravana.
You’ve put it beautifully — Ten really does walk that fine line between divine and devilish! 😊 I loved your reference to Dashavatar and Dashanan — perfect examples of how the same number can hold both creation and destruction within it. And not to forget Dashabhuja — Goddess Durga — and all the women who magically grow ten hands every day to take care of their families, their work, and everything in between!
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ReplyDeleteA fascinating take on the number Ten!!! Cheers.
Thank you, Helen! 😊 I’m glad you enjoyed it. Who knew the number Ten could have such an interesting personality? Cheers!
ReplyDeleteA lovely reflective piece. Certainly ten is central to modern life, upside and downside.
ReplyDeletethanks for stopping by. I believe everyone would agree with your view on importance of 10.
DeleteInteresting and informative musings. Enjoyed this.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for visiting my blog and leaving those kind words. Hope you will comeback soon.
DeleteAn interesting take on the number 10 I enjoyed it
ReplyDeleteIt is an interesting prompt and squeezed creative juice from the bloggers.
DeleteDecimation! Yes! That's the theme of my poem for ten!
ReplyDeleteThis is the only time probably when one has to be very unlucky to be the 10th. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteThis is wonderful! It gives ten many meanings.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for stopping by and leaving your thoughts. Please return from time to time.
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