I woke up this morning and decided I was tired of being a banana slug with my only purpose being to eat, decompose matter, and occasionally fighting off a snake or raccoon.
I want to be a cranberry farmer.
Now I know you’re asking how this would even be possible as I am so small, so slimy, so squishable. But nothing is impossible, especially for a banana slug.
I could be the taste tester. Tasting cranberries to see if they are sweet and delicious enough for juice and cranberry sauce. I can be your favorite slug that helps you prep for Thanksgiving.
Another option is the cranberry smusher. I mean I’m practically one big foot. I can use my body to jump up and down or squeeze the cranberries.
Or I could be the farmer that goes through the water and collects the cranberries. I’ll put on my scuba suit and swim through, finding the perfect cranberries and help the humans pick those ones.
My slug friends believe I’m insane. They don’t understand why I would abandon the home I have to go do a task no banana slug has done before.
But there’s one thing that drives me to do this, even if I have to sacrifice everything. It’s because I’m a dreamer. I have a burning passion in my slime. I feel as if my life revolves around one thing, and if I cannot be a cranberry farmer, then what is my purpose?
I have dreams at night of making human friends, surrounded by cranberries and munching the berries all day long.
My parent slugs each did typical slug jobs. Parent 1 was a blackberry bush finder, and always led slugs to the best places to eat blackberries for meals. Parent 2 was an explorer, leaving the other slugs behind to explore new areas and then make maps for the others to follow.
My parents met when they were each exploring and searching for blackberries, and they fell in love. Soon they each laid 20 eggs and my siblings and I were born.
Of all 40 of us, I’m the only one to have such a large passion. My siblings don’t understand, and have abandoned me.
I know my family will be proud of me when they see me living my dream but until then, I will be alone in my journey.
Even still, I won’t stop fighting for my dream. I never will.
– Slugberry
