Do butterflies remember when they were caterpillars?

Well, we humans do. As a kid you have no idea of the real meaning of male and female, and you may store up memories that need reanalysis in adulthood. I remember thinking that the words “boy” and “girl” simply marked genders, like a girl cat or a boy dog. I remember asking my parents, who said no, the words aren’t used like that.

A song on the radio yesterday brought back another one of these memories from across the metamorphosis. As a kid I loved Harry Belafonte’s record with the line “I had to leave a little girl in Kingston town.” I remember thinking, how sad, that’s probably his daughter.

[15 April 2025]