I cringe when people parade their fear of spiders on Facebook. I love to see arachnids setting up shop in the garden. Trimmings from the crepe myrtle became additions to the cyprus mulch under the crepe myrtle bush. Lately a spider web has been cast across it. Perhaps the fresh cuttings so favored insects and soil creatures that the spider sought to trap them.
Various writing students have told me online that they are computer scientists and do not engage in such language tools as metaphors.
I ask them, "Is the World Wide Web full of spiders?" In fact, some programs that work on the Web are called spiders, another metaphor. Computer specialists are uncommonly fond of science fiction, fantasy literature (Lord of the Rings), and classical myths. I was at a Linux user group meeting when they introduced a program named after a Greek wine goblet.
Scientists continue to marvel at the strength and engineering of the spider web. So should we.
