The hard shell


When someone “lays an egg” it means that they are doing something poorly, or that have failed in some measure or another.

And this evening, I am mostly taking the night off from writing. Although, it does not appear that I’ve started out that way.

I guess the “laying of the egg” equates to somehow putting out a zero. Or squawking and flapping your wings when you are trying to be productive, maybe. Nonetheless. It means that you are somehow, remiss.

Maybe tonight, since I am sort of not writing, I am laying an egg.

Birds do it all the time. Of course, my good friends, the chickens, are among the highest in the ranks. I thank them, profusely, every morning for the copious amounts of good eggs I eat.

But we mammals, we live-bearers, do not lay eggs as a rule. There are only two of us mammals who do so. The the duck-billed platypus and the echidna, who is more commonly known as the spiny anteater.

Those of us mammals who do lay eggs, are called “monotremes.” Apparently, the “mono’s” were a dominant sort down in Australia. But then the marsupials came along, and invaded everything down there. Mate. The pouch-bearers took over around 71 million years ago. They pushed the monotremes right out of business.

So yes. Still around these days, are the duck-billed-egg-laying-platypus.
And the spiny-egg-laying-anteater.

Neither one sounds very attractive, BUT. Don’t tell that to their Mothers.

On that note, just remember today, that somebody out there loves you. Exactly as you are. And that, is not, laying an egg.


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“What we know matters but who we are matters more.”
― Brené Brown,

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“All have their worth and each contributes to the worth of the others.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion

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“A single day is enough to make us a little larger or, another time, a little smaller.”
― Paul Klee

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