“You cannot be what nature did not intend you to be, the struggles of life come from trying to be something other than you.”
I love Meadowlarks. I think they are a very pretty bird and their song is wonderful. It is so distinct and resonates with the feeling of being happy and joyful. And, I think they are. It could be they are happy because they are living who they are, a meadowlark, and not trying to be a robin. We can learn from them. It looks like this one is working on building a nest or patching one up.
“We see quite clearly that what happens to the nonhuman happens to the human. What happens to the outer world happens to the inner world. If the outer world is diminished in its grandeur then the emotional, imaginative, intellectual, and spiritual life of the human is diminished or extinguished. Without the soaring birds, the great forests, the sounds and coloration of the insects, the free-flowing streams, the flowering fields, the sight of the clouds by day and the stars at night, we become impoverished in all that makes us human.” Thomas Berry
Well, my Medicare card arrived in the mail along with a very confusing booklet to read. Man, do my parents feel old now!
A couple of weeks ago I stepped on a crowded bus headed for the transit center on the campus of CSU so I could spend time at Morgan Library. Standing room only so I grabbed the overhead rail to hang on for the ride. A nice young man stood up and said, “Sir, would you like to sit down?” Without knowing or intending to, he made a d deep cut as I immediately felt old. I declined his offer. As I looked at these college students I realized I am 40 years older than almost everyone on the bus except the driver. And I’m still 20 years older than they were. The reality is that to them I am old and at their age I felt the same. When I look in the mirror I don’t see that. Perspective. And, that’s a good thing.
I’ve had a few days to reflect on my reaction and how I might react differently if faced with that again. If the passenger next to him is a hot 20 year old college girl, heck yes I’m going to take the offer. 🙂 When you think about it there are more perks for getting older besides senior bus passes or food discounts at IHOP.
I know it’s a busy image but wait. I took his image a few years ago at the Blendon Woods Metro Park in Gahanna, Ohio. They have nature center for children (that’s us) with a viewing area for birds where they have placed feeders. I would sit along the windows, elbows on the shelf and just watch. There are a total of 6 cardinals and one sparrow in the image. Can you find them?
Killdeer is a medium sized plover that hangs around lawns, golf courses, athletic fields, open wetlands and parking lots. And, in this case, a field along County Road 13. They run in spurts, stopping with a jolt every so often to check their progress, or to see if they’ve startled up any insect prey. They have a distinct far-carrying call that sounds like “kill-dee” or “kill-deeah-dee-dee.” I’ve hear that sound after dark and they will often give it in flight as the bird circles overhead. I like watching them and listening to them. Much preferred sound than a honking and busy street.
