Let Me Be Worm Dirt

A pal was saying how humble he is--(bragging, really)--which was funny since he strikes me as a pretty arrogant* guy.
I'd guess his arrogance actually arises from low self-esteem, and it's this feeling of being not-worth-much, feeling humiliated in himself, maybe, that he mistakes for humility.

This morning I was reading a Lenten prayer (of St Ephrem) that asks for humility (among other things).
I decided to dig into the word.
I'd always heard the root of "humble" is "humus", for soil, and so it is. Specifically, rich top soil.

humble: literally "on the ground"; from humus "earth".

Humus is the substance (the top few inches of soil) left over after a long process of thorough decomposition done by earthworms, bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms.
The color of humus is brown or black, and it has a loose, crumbly, and spongy texture.

 Humus is food for plants, and its texture allows air and water to circulate.
I like that!
Life grinds us down, but we can be ground down into despair and/or ground down into fine particles that feed life.

 

*arrogance: "a manifest feeling of superiority of one's worth or importance, combined with contempt of others"