Ants at Melbourne Museum

I’ll never forget seeing Ants for the first time at Melbourne Museum. It was magic.

When the children saw the Ants, they were transfixed. Fascinated but wary. They stood back, close to their adults, watching the Ants to see what they’d do. Listening to their clicks, following their movements. When the Ants set about their crumb business, the eager anticipation from the crowd was palpable. The children were breathlessly containing their excitement – would they be able to help the Ants? We all stood, looking, as crumbs started forming lines.

And then, an Ant passed a crumb to a child, and a huge wave of delight rushed through the space as all the children ran forward to help. Huge smiles on their faces, behind them their adults beaming.

I couldn’t stop smiling, I even started laughing, it was such a wonderful happy moment that extended and extended as the lines of crumbs got longer. Seeing the children’s glee as they ran to the Ants with huge armfuls of crumbs was so…FUN. It was joyous.

That bubbly feeling of happiness has stayed with me since that day. It’s really come to mean ‘Polyglot’ to me.

I love the Ants.

• Erica Heller-Wagner
  Melbourne Museum