A pause . . .

A few posts back (Embrace the Unexpected) I spoke of my writing corner in the library and its unwanted tenant, a large wasp.  My encounter with said wasp ended in the wasp's untimely death (or in my case - timely).  But, yesterday made me rethink that encounter.

It appears my corner has a wasp problem.  They seem to appear on a regular basis, sometimes in startling ways.  There was the day a woman was slowly flipping through a binder of reading lists.  As she thumbed through, a wasp suddenly rose from the next page.  She was a little unnerved, to say the least, and afterwards chagrined at having jumped.

This, along with other appearances, made me realize the wasps were around to stay, at least 'til cold weather "did them in".  So, what to do?  Should I find another corner?  Should I insist the library "do something" about it?   I was slipping into a decision by simply not deciding.

Yesterday, while writing, a familiar buzz interrupted my thoughts.  I shifted to an opposite seat so my back was no longer to the window, or the source of the sound.  I continued to write, a little wary, but still mostly focused.  Out of the corner of my eye, I did, however, keep track of the wasp's movements.  She (I have learned it would be a non-mating female) happily crawled around the window.  Window paint happens to adorn my corner window panes, and the wasp actually stopped to make a snack out of the paint.

I have decided that I will talk to the library about the problem, because even if they do die off in the winter, they will be back with warmer weather.  It is noteworthy though that I learned a lot by pausing before acting.  My wasp friend, or likely German yellowjacket, is an interesting creature.  I watched, I observed, I did a little internet research.  I gained by my pause.

Writing, I know, is about more than writing itself.  It is about reading and observing.  Reading has never been a problem with me, and maybe, just maybe, I can learn a little from my taking the time to observe.