Learning to Fly
I've often spoken of life growing up on a farm as a child. There was an endless laundry list of animals showing up that were badly hurt and we almost always tried to mend them.
Raccoons, (which... incidentally... are the coolest thing next to having a pet monkey when you're a kid and make very cool pets if you set aside the whole rabies thing). An albino skunk (which... incidentally... are sort of disgusting during the winter when they do this light hibernation kind of thing and still stink to high heaven, glands removed or not). Many, many, many feral cats. A tree-rat.... er... squirrel (don't get me started) and other odds and ends like newts, frogs... the general assortment of what you'd expect to find on a farm.
A week ago I found a bird in the street. It was early and I hadn't even finished my first cup of coffee, but I saw the bird out there, flapping its wing uselessly. It looked young and hurt, so I went out and picked it up, brought it into the yard so it wouldn't get turned into a flapjack by an early morning commuter.
I set it in the grass and talked to it for a bit. Gently checked it's wings, which seemed to work fine. Eased out its legs - also in working order - and left it in the lawn, away from the street, before I had to leave for the office.
That evening I was outside on the porch and walked around to check on the little guy. Apparently my efforts that morning weren't enough because he was laying there in the grass, deader than the proverbial doornail. It saddened me more than it probably should, seeing that dead bird. Sort of a bittersweet acceptance.
That was a tough lesson to learn as a child. That sometimes, despite the best intentions and efforts, things don't make it, even though you think they should. Even though it seems as if they ought to and you can't fathom exactly why.
If enough time passes, you sometimes have to learn that lesson all over again, no matter how old you are.
Some of you know and some of you don't, but no matter which camp you have your sleeping bag in, you should realize there's been a lot of life changes going on with me lately. It's one of the reasons I've been so quiet for a while... probably the longest stretch ever since I started this little blog of verbal masturbation.
The short version is that there was a bird in life who couldn't fly anymore and despite a lot of effort and best intentions, it didn't make it.
Sometimes the feeling is a bittersweet acceptance. Other moments come with an emotion that I'm not quite sure carries a name. It's broader in scope... looking at a larger picture of things around us all. I've never truly bought into it, but a grand plan maybe? I don't know. Some birds can only fly for so long, I guess.
Well kids, I've gotta run. I require more caffeine this morning. I'll be making updates more often now that life has settled down a bit.
Soon I'll tell you about the insanity of dealing with producers and screenplays.
I'll tell you about updates on some cool little things I've been working on and what's in the works on a grander scale.
I'll tell you. Pull your rock closer to the camp fire so you can get warm.
I'll tell you.
****
Current Reads:
Fresh Blood; A very cool chap featuring Dave Alexander, Kelli Dunlap and Bob Freeman. Nicely produced and hella-fine reads by all. You should pick up a copy by clicking here
Cover; Jack Ketchum. I've been looking to sink my teeth into a great read, and as usual, he does not disappoint.
Current Music:
A metric fuckton, but some highlights:
The Black Keys - Magic Potion (absolutely amazing).
Dan Auerbach's (of the Black Keys) solo release, Keep it Hid. Exactly what you'd expect from half of the Black Keys. Soulful, heart-wrenching and kickass.
Ry Cooder; The Ry Cooder Anthology: The UFO has Landed. Because... quite simply... Cooder is one of the best.
Cold War Kids: Robbers and Cowards. Great voice and catchy melodies.
And almost daily: I'm on a Boat. Just 'cause.
Current Movies:
Ice Age 3. Exactly as funny as you'd expect.
The Unborn. I'll let you know as soon as I don't fall asleep through it.
TV special on lost civilizations in the Amazon. Because... the universe knows exactly when to provide such a source of information for me when I need it.
Raccoons, (which... incidentally... are the coolest thing next to having a pet monkey when you're a kid and make very cool pets if you set aside the whole rabies thing). An albino skunk (which... incidentally... are sort of disgusting during the winter when they do this light hibernation kind of thing and still stink to high heaven, glands removed or not). Many, many, many feral cats. A tree-rat.... er... squirrel (don't get me started) and other odds and ends like newts, frogs... the general assortment of what you'd expect to find on a farm.
A week ago I found a bird in the street. It was early and I hadn't even finished my first cup of coffee, but I saw the bird out there, flapping its wing uselessly. It looked young and hurt, so I went out and picked it up, brought it into the yard so it wouldn't get turned into a flapjack by an early morning commuter.
I set it in the grass and talked to it for a bit. Gently checked it's wings, which seemed to work fine. Eased out its legs - also in working order - and left it in the lawn, away from the street, before I had to leave for the office.
That evening I was outside on the porch and walked around to check on the little guy. Apparently my efforts that morning weren't enough because he was laying there in the grass, deader than the proverbial doornail. It saddened me more than it probably should, seeing that dead bird. Sort of a bittersweet acceptance.
That was a tough lesson to learn as a child. That sometimes, despite the best intentions and efforts, things don't make it, even though you think they should. Even though it seems as if they ought to and you can't fathom exactly why.
If enough time passes, you sometimes have to learn that lesson all over again, no matter how old you are.
Some of you know and some of you don't, but no matter which camp you have your sleeping bag in, you should realize there's been a lot of life changes going on with me lately. It's one of the reasons I've been so quiet for a while... probably the longest stretch ever since I started this little blog of verbal masturbation.
The short version is that there was a bird in life who couldn't fly anymore and despite a lot of effort and best intentions, it didn't make it.
Sometimes the feeling is a bittersweet acceptance. Other moments come with an emotion that I'm not quite sure carries a name. It's broader in scope... looking at a larger picture of things around us all. I've never truly bought into it, but a grand plan maybe? I don't know. Some birds can only fly for so long, I guess.
Well kids, I've gotta run. I require more caffeine this morning. I'll be making updates more often now that life has settled down a bit.
Soon I'll tell you about the insanity of dealing with producers and screenplays.
I'll tell you about updates on some cool little things I've been working on and what's in the works on a grander scale.
I'll tell you. Pull your rock closer to the camp fire so you can get warm.
I'll tell you.
****
Current Reads:
Fresh Blood; A very cool chap featuring Dave Alexander, Kelli Dunlap and Bob Freeman. Nicely produced and hella-fine reads by all. You should pick up a copy by clicking here
Cover; Jack Ketchum. I've been looking to sink my teeth into a great read, and as usual, he does not disappoint.
Current Music:
A metric fuckton, but some highlights:
The Black Keys - Magic Potion (absolutely amazing).
Dan Auerbach's (of the Black Keys) solo release, Keep it Hid. Exactly what you'd expect from half of the Black Keys. Soulful, heart-wrenching and kickass.
Ry Cooder; The Ry Cooder Anthology: The UFO has Landed. Because... quite simply... Cooder is one of the best.
Cold War Kids: Robbers and Cowards. Great voice and catchy melodies.
And almost daily: I'm on a Boat. Just 'cause.
Current Movies:
Ice Age 3. Exactly as funny as you'd expect.
The Unborn. I'll let you know as soon as I don't fall asleep through it.
TV special on lost civilizations in the Amazon. Because... the universe knows exactly when to provide such a source of information for me when I need it.
posted by Bob at 7/08/2009
1 comments
