Life is...

Life is winning free admission for a day to the most fantastical amusement park in the world. The gates open and you run willy-nilly trying to do and see as much as you can. You eat too many hotdogs, nachos and funnel cakes. You ride the biggest roller coaster and barf it all up. You laugh about it and get in line to ride it again. Later, when the fireworks begin, you realize the day is coming to an end and you haven't seen or done a quarter of what there is to see and do. You've had a long day, you're exhausted, but that doesn't ease the pain of knowing you'll soon exit the park through the front gate, get on a trolly that will take you back to your car, and never return again. 

Going on a cello adventure

Over the years, I have tried unsuccessfully to become an accomplished musician on 24 different instruments. Today I give No. 25 a go. The cello.  

Like my old grandpa would say:
"You're never too old to fail at something new."

Taking care of each other is not just "for the birds"

For the past few weeks, every morning while I’m taking the dog out for her morning pee, I hear a group of birds chirping their brains out in the nearby trees, and I can’t help but wonder what they’re getting on about.

At first I thought it was just an old married couple arguing about who was going to make the coffee this morning, or why the other didn’t take out the trash the night before. But it became apparent it was a flock, a commune doing vocal lunges and squats about something they thought was important.

I’m by no means an expert on bird chirps, but I can recognize a fish crow, bluejay, mockingbird, owl and mourning doves, and these little twerps were none of the above. Starlings, maybe? All I do know is they were all talking at the same time, making it hard to believe they were actually listening.

“He will make a wonderful leader cuz he,” “What are you talking about don’t you,” “I can’t believe we’re,” “but look at the past and,” “fake bird, fake bird,” “Oh, not that again, I think you’re,” “I believe,” “No you don’t, you,” “Can’t stand this anymore,” “He fights for the common bird and,” “He lies.” “Can’t we just love one another?” “No, this is,” “More of the same and it’s time for…”

I just stood there and listened, but couldn’t make beaks or tails of the whole thing. I didn’t recognize the dialect. I just hoped they wouldn’t start Bird War III because that would be a mess to clean up, right?

What a waste of a short bird life, spending it in constant argument, dilly and dallying about the same old things year after year. A typical Bird Congress. Meet in the morning, shout about whose bill is prettier than the others, rant about food prices, the cost of tree space, and then “Order, order, order! I recognize the good bird from across the pond. Thank you Miss Speaker. Something’s got to be done about those cats before this session ends. Hear! Hear! Hear!”

But then again, they don’t think their lives are short. They’re living their full life. But still, couldn’t they just advocate looking after each other, and being kind?

It’s probably several clans of birds in heated discussion about “You stay in your tree, and we’ll stay in ours. It’s tradition. And now you want to ‘help each other for the common good of all’? Listen here my little chickadee, there will be no helping others who we believe are freeloading off the system. Hunger? Tree-less? Mental discombobulation? It’s not up to me to do anything about it. You flap your wings, I’ll flap mine. That’s what we do here.”

I’ve noticed the birds usually leave the trees by at least 7 a.m., and go on to do whatever else birds do. Which gets me to wondering:

Maybe they are just happy to see a new morning, and they are spreading that joy to others. Wake up, do some vocal exercises, stretch those legs and wings because sitting is never good in the long run. “And look! There’s that warm light again. Coming up from behind those trees over there. It was a very long darkness and I thought we’d never come out of it. But here we are. A new day. A chance to start fresh and make a difference this time. A chance to change the world.”

I’m now sitting at my kitchen table, drinking a cup of coffee. I hear bluejays doing their thing — warning the others of a prowling cat. Bluejays are always taking care of each other.

Animal crossing

I always stop for squirrels wanting to cross the street. 

It's the polite thing to do.