Frankie
In the beginning
Meet Frankie the Hermit
The life of a hermit crab is a continuous struggle to survive.
When Frankie's mum gave birth, he and his siblings occupied the floor of the ocean.
These baby hermits were left defenceless with exposed exoskeleton (skin covering). They were able to molt and shed off the previous skin as they grew.
However, this exoskeleton was not strong enough. It made them potential fish food. Frankie lost some of his siblings this way.
To survive, they needed a stronger shell to protect them from the numerous predators in the ocean. These shells were mostly from dead snails.
Frankie found a shell, a periwinkle shell. It was a good fit and strong enough for protection.
Life just began. Now he was free to explore the beautiful ocean.
Frankie kept carrying his new shell until he didn't enjoy it any more. The shell started becoming uncomfortable. He felt suffocated.
You see, this is what happens to all hermit crabs when they get comfortable in their "temporary" shell.
A little biology
Hermit crabs are a kind of crab; crabs are crustaceans and crustaceans are arthropods. Other examples of arthropods are shrimps, lobsters and insects.
Arthropods have a different kind of “shell”. This shell cannot grow.
As these arthropods grow, they have to shed their “shells” (exoskeleton), cracking them, climbing out and leaving them behind. This is called molting.
The hermit crabs also shed their own exoskeleton and quickly grow another slightly larger one.
They take advantage of the extra strength of empty snail shells by hiding inside them, and even carrying the shell around.
After several molting cycles, the snail shell begins to feel cramped since the shell is no longer expanding.
At this point, the hermit crab searches for a more roomy shell from another dead snail to relocate to.
Oh Frankie!
This was Frankie's first cramp. He knew he had to search for a new shell else he would die in this.
He found one, the shell of a sea snail. A beautiful shell it was. Immediately, he moved to the new shell to continue his life.
This was Frankie's reality.
He couldn't get comfortable in a shell because if he did, not only would he stop growing, he would be exposed to predators or he could die.
He must always be in search of a new shell that will support his growth, protect him from predators and in the end keep him alive.
Sometimes, snail shells are not available but that wouldn't stop Frankie as he knows how to use several alternatives as long as it serves the purpose.
Take a look at Frankie's wardrobe…
We are Frankie
When we take a careful look at the life of Frankie, we'd realise we are so similar to this hermit.
» Life is a continuous journey of survival
This was the case of Frankie and it is the same for you and I.
The moment we stop trying to survive, our lives as we know it will be over.
» Growth is a constant
As Frankie grew, he had to shed off the old covering for a new one.
As we grow, we have to let go of things that are not favourable and compatible with the level of growth we have achieved.
» Comfort is dangerous for growth
If Frankie remained in one shell, he would either outgrow the shell and become exposed to predators or he'd die of suffocation. Either way, he would still die.
When we get used to comfort, we get stagnant and stop growing. This leaves us at a disadvantage.
The world keeps changing with every passing second as new challenges, events and innovation all come up.
When we stop growing, we don't keep up with the pace of the changing world and we'll be swept off amongst the other changing things.
To avoid that, don't get too comfortable and always strive for growth.
» Make room for alternatives
There's a lot of competition for shells. Recall that Frankie is not the only hermit and therefore he's not the only one in search of snail shells.
For Frankie, he didn't always get a shell as competition caused a scarcity of available shells. That didn't mean he'd die.
Without any excuse, he used the next available alternatives — bottle caps, tennis balls, lego bricks, tins etc.
If Frankie couldn't give an excuse, then we shouldn't. Even if we don't get what we want, we can use what we have (what is available) to get what we want. Always make room for alternatives.
The Truth
This was not the story I wanted to share today. I had something else planned until I saw a movie - Good Boys (2019) - yesterday (08/06/2022).
If you should see this movie, you would ask how it inspired this issue because it was not about a hermit crab. You would probably need to watch it carefully for that answer.
However, I'm glad I saw the movie again because it set me on a challenge to produce this piece.
I hope you've learnt so much from Frankie the Hermit.
What did you learn? Leave your answer in the comments!
If you liked this lesson, tap the “Like” button.
If you're yet to subscribe, put in your email below and click the “Subscribe” button.
If you're subscribed, you can share this newsletter to a friend. Just click the “Share” button and select the best social media platform where you'll reach more people.
See you in the next week's issue!
A beautiful captivation of humanity through an exciting stody
I was drawn in with this story, then enlightened with the lessons woven between the lines.
I have learned the need to keep surviving by refusing to be comfortable, and making room for alternatives. Thank you for sharing this.