But exceptions being a rule, there are countless companion parrot relationships around the world that prove a flying being will wait for a human to give up their human ego to enter a lifestyle that has nothing to do with conditional fondness, taming, or domestication. And everything to do with sincerity and empathy.
I just found a sweet tater growing it’s heart out in the cabinet. And I stuck it in a pot that used to grow something I killed before. I get distracted. The one trick to growing sweet potatoes (that will grow against all odds anyway) is patience. Also known as my kryptonite.
Most likely your parrot will outlive your longevity. It's the longevity story we all have in our flocks. The math will be different, but the results are the same. We will leave behind a world without us. Why wouldn't we want to insure better understanding, better rhetoric, better mandates, better practices, better rescue, better sanctuary, better laws, and that elusive better respect and empathy for companion parrots?
To feel better about anything, find someone that needs love. Then give them yours. Fear prefers we stop loving outwardly. Fear can only grow inside us if we shut others out, refusing to empathize. Fear is the harbinger of all things awful.
Psychological First Aid is the balm to fear.
It’s Monday morning, after 11 am, St Petersburg time. We’ve done our due diligence at the store. We’ve done our due diligence hardening the house. We will move everything that’s outside, inside tomorrow. We’re paying attention to the local news/weather. WE ARE NOT WATCHING NATIONAL NEWS.
Veterinarians charge so much because it costs so much to be a vet. There’s no rags to riches in their storyline. What’s it cost to be a vet then?
Communicating is frustrating for the human, not the parrot. You don't get it the first time; they have the time to change tactics and try again. Buckle Up Buckaroo.
Life is also glorious and triumphant. Precious and finite. Beautiful. Fragile. Short. Life is everything you say it is, without fail. See the wonder, live in wonder. See problems, live in problems. Whatever you say your life is, it will be. Use your words carefully.
This isn’t an essay just about bird toys. It’s a reminder than every person has a gift to give to themselves, others, and if fevered enough to try, to the world. Our gifts come wrapped inside a crunchy coating called “human”.
Life isn’t about getting things done. It’s about doing things. Autopilot routines are great for getting it all done quickly, but you aren’t experiencing the little things hidden in all of life’s day. Life’s gems are little. Very little. Life is short. Very short.
This is why I didn't get into spy craft, either. You actually have to talk to people eventually.
Bernadette Peters. Google the name if you’ve never heard. She had a line in a past Broadway production that’s one word, two syllables. I use this scene at the grocery checkout whenever I feel a downbeat coming off the cashier and bagging person.
