Is It True?
by Dawn Baumann Brunke

 

If you have an e-mail address, chances are you’ve come across a forward or two from a well-meaning friend advising you of the potential dangers of a phone scam or computer virus, or a great new way to get a free laptop or cash. I get plenty of these. Some are pretty absurd (such as Bill Gates sending you $1000 to test his new software, or the uproar over a website that claims to sell “bonsai kittens” in bottles), but others seem like they could be true.

 

For example, I was recently forwarded a warning against buying bags of mulch that were selling at cheap prices from home improvement stores. What’s so scary about that? It seems these bags may hold the bonus feature of Formosan subterranean termites. The e-mail describes that after Hurricane Katrina many blown-over, broken trees in New Orleans were up for grabs to anyone who would haul them away. Enterprising individuals did just that, and turned the trees into mulch. The problem is that most of the trees were infested with termites. Thus, the e-mail explains, millions of termites are being transported all over the country, ready to eat you (literally) out of house and home.

 

I don’t know much about mulch or termites, but when I read the email, I supposed it could be true. Even if most of the termites were “mulched up” along with the wood, surely some could survive. Maybe the individuals doing the mulching knew this and decided to sell the mulch quickly—at bargain prices. And maybe some of the store buyers smelled a hustle but couldn’t pass up a quick way to increase profits. And surely thrifty gardeners would want mulch at a great deal, so were undoubtedly buying up multiple bags at a time, no questions asked. And from this type of cynical reasoning, it’s just a hop, skip and a leap into panic. Maybe all the trees and houses in Alaska are being overrun with ravenous termites right this second!

 

It’s amazing how fast the emotions of fear and panic inundate our bodies. It’s also amazing how quick we are to share this with others. Add to this the fact that we’re a fairly gullible species, and you can easily see how, with just the click of the mouse, e-mails filled with terror and trepidation proliferate and spread like electronic wildfire. What is it that causes us to jump so rashly into alarm and outrage, even if we don’t know what we’re in outrage about is even true?

 

In all fairness, some e-mail forwards are accurate and helpful. So, the question becomes: how do we know if something is true or just another fear-filled rumor? And, how do we stop ourselves from passing on information that is patently false?

 

If you are interested in the inner world, one educational game you might consider playing next time you face these questions is to breathe deep, close your eyes and take note of all your feelings. It’s helpful to take some time and allow all of your thoughts and emotions to speak (especially those belonging to the shy, scared and shadow selves). Once everyone inside has had their say, take a second note of how you feel. Has anything shifted? Has any clarity emerged after all the uproar settles down? I find this process very helpful as I continue to explore what’s ‘real’ and what’s projected.

 

Another tactic in weeding out fraudulent emails is to go straight to the source. Just as the Internet spreads some whoppers of incredulity, it is also an obliging source of information. One place to check when in doubt over the validity of some “Read This Immediately!” email is Snopes, the Urban Legends Reference Page (www.snopes.com).

 

Although this method doesn’t necessarily shed light on the inner world, it’s helpful in offering an outer-world reality check. You may also learn something from your research. For example, although Snopes deemed the termite-filled mulch subject false, I discovered that the termite in question was accidentally introduced to this country about 60 years ago via ships that traveled from China to U.S. coastal towns, where it became a serious threat to trees and most things made from wood. I also learned that although the scenario described in the email could occur, numerous quarantines and regulations were put in effect to prevent this from happening. In addition, entomologists interviewed seriously doubted that termites could survive shredding and packaging—not to mention the colder temperatures of Alaska .

 

So, there you have it. We’re not likely to be overrun with Formosan subterranean termites after all, and we can all buy mulch, worry-free. Still, perhaps this tiny creature hiding deep in the mulch-bag of an alarmist e-mail offers a valuable lesson.

 

Among the insect world, termites have mastered cooperation to such an extent that they are able to build magnificent structures that tower like skyscrapers as well as demolish entire houses thousands of times their own size. They are clever little bugs who, like so many other species, have learned to both create and destroy. We are not so different. When faced with the multitude of choices we are offered every day, it is up to each of us to decide which path we prefer to follow. Thus, one of the questions we must ask ourselves, and answer, with ever varying degrees of self-observation: Is it true? 

 

Dawn Brunke is the editor of Alaska Wellness and author of Animal Voices and Awakening to Animal Voices: A Teen Guide to Telepathic Communication with All Life (see www.animalvoices.net for more).