What Can Repulse Can Also Be Beautiful

The voice of my education said to me

He must be killed. . .

But must I confess how I liked him,

How glad I was he had come like a guest in quiet, to drink at my water-trough. . .?

D. H. Lawrence, SNAKE, 1923 

Herpetologists who follow me on Twitter have discovered my long kept secret: I love the common garter snake, Thamnophis sirtalis. I rescued the reptile from imminent lawn-mower decapitation, twice; observed its behavior at a local nature museum in the Hudson Valley where I worked as a volunteer, and sat in the grass as the striped, green snake slithered its way alongside me.

Either because of natural fear or being forever warned about venomous snakes killing people within nanoseconds by "reality" programs, some men and women crumple when they see the cold-blooded intruders. Like any phobias, facing your fear is half the battle. Nonetheless, many can't get past the appearance of snakes; their sinewy movements. And, Harry Potter movies certainly didn't help the much-abhorred reptiles.

Certainly, articles have been written about saving species that most people find disgusting. We've learned that genetics and environment often dictate how humans perceive color, terrain, designate favorites or repulsions. Humans, however, can train their eyes, their minds to see beauty in what is ugly. At least, we can try.

When I lived in Singapore signs across the MRT (subway) stations warned riders would be fined if found carrying a durian on the train. "The King of Fruits," is comparable to Limburger cheese in smell, only worse. Hold your nose, taste the fruit and it isn't bad. I, on the other hand, have an aversion to apricots. My mother for years couldn't understand why I didn't like the innocent fruit. But let's take a step back. If you were an architect and had the choice to build your multi-million dollar, performing arts venue in the shape of a durian, along with the thorn-like protrusions resembling the prickly husk of the durian fruit strategically placed along the roof or a design similar to a smooth, unprotruding apricot, which would you prefer? Funny, isn't it, how our perceptions change based on utility. Singapore did erect their Esplanade Theatre in the shape of durians. Today, though, if I had an opportunity to see the theatre in person, I may have a more positive opinion of the architects' choice.

Speaking of utility, the British Museum has been posting on Twitter World Cup opposing teams' artifacts or works of art in pairs. Yes, I've favorited pieces: either one of two or both teams' artifacts which caught my eye. Two pins from Argentina and Switzerland, the Argentine entry, a man with a top hat sitting on his horse, and the second Swiss pin, a horse in stride; free to roam though caught in the moment, were posted before the upcoming World Cup match between those countries. I appreciated the details and craftsmanship of the Argentine pin, but adored the sleek beauty of the ivory pin from Switzerland. Had I seen the two pins separately I may have been less quick to select one over the other. With more background I may not be so quick to admire either. Who made them? What were the source materials (the sale and import of ivory hadn't been banned in 1840, but I wouldn't want to own the piece now), etc.?

When younger and more impulsive, we often choose based on immediate response. During my college days in Northampton, MA, I did buy a silver coated lapel pin which the shopkeeper assured me was a seahorse dipped in liquid silver, made locally. No, I didn't feel any remorse, only fascination. I wear it occasionally these days. What's changed? I'm more sensitive to protecting sea life. I wish I knew, then, more background about how the jeweler made the pin.

Sea urchins, the corpse flower, a termite-infested tree, fire ants, nature produces many creatures that terrify or repulse; however, as D.H. Lawrence alluded in the stanzas above, it's how you are educated either by society or your elders. True for art, landscapes, and even other worlds: I prefer the blue aqua of the planet Neptune when others may believe Saturn and it's ethereal rings more aesthetically attractive. Cultural differences, big feet among women are still considered uninviting in Asian culture though foot binding has been outlawed. Where you have been raised: I may understand why many admire the desert yet I would never grow to love its environs having lived by a river and the sea. Many components amass to influence how we perceive.

To end, I'd like to leave subjectivity behind and ask: readers, wouldn't the world be more accepting if we all tried to understand what repulses us? We may not grow to love the ugly, as we see it, but we may at least comprehend why others see the beauty.





Photo: SudburyValleyTrustees.org (Massachusetts)