Any Old Butterfly

Funny thing about this picture... I actually thought this particular bug was a rather mundane sort of monophyletic creature. Annoying and maybe even ugly, really. But he had crossed my path and seemed enamored by the ugly puddle on the ugly pavement and while not presenting a particularly lovely photogenic scene, he let me come in close and snap a picture. So I did, because that's what I do. Viewing the image on my computer, I was rather shocked at how little I appreciated this insect. The detail, the color, the pattern. There's even a heart on his wing! 

This is why I love photography--you just have no idea how intricate and amazing life and creation in general are until you can view it through your camera. Photography is therapy because I am continually inundated by the observation of unexpected detail. If a little bug can sport such design, how much more can I rest assured that our own lives have design and purpose?