TODAY I was sunning myself near the Lake, reading a bit of Lauren Winner and the Trib, when I heard a strange noise. It was complex. I heard two people screaming-out of surprise-and birds screeching-the kind of screeching when a cat is nearby. I looked up from my book, and watched. What unfolded in the next two hours was a great example of how ignorant city people can be about nature.
As I continued to watch, the couple that were making noise were also ducking and covering their heads as they pushed their stroller and child along the trail. The birds were "attacking". The people did not run away, or even simply carry on as normal. They kept attempting to reach a certain point near the edge of the trail. I realized that they must have found a fallen nest, eggs, or baby birds.
I could not believe my eyes, but I watched as the man grabbed a windbreaker, waved it over his head to hit away any swooping birds, and bent down to do whatever he intended to do. Then I saw the woman bend over as well, then open a Tupperware container and scatter what must have been leftovers from a kid's snack. They continued their ducking, until they walked out of the general vicinity of the birds.
During the next 30 minutes, people would walk along, not noticing the birds cackling or swooping, but merely walking or biking along.
Until, another couple came along, stroller in front, windbreakers wrapped around the waists. This time, they were more courageous. The man braved his way without his windbreaker, picked up whatever object was on the ground and headed for a tree. The woman clasped her hands to give the man's foot a boost, and the man climbed a few feet up the tree to return what "belonged" there. Then, they proceeded on their way.
Out of these two circumstances, I realized the positives and negatives:
Positives-The two couples were doing what they thought was right. They were trying to protect nature. They were trying to save a life, perhaps. They were being compassionate toward God's creation.
Negatives-They were foolhardy in their attempts. They possibly hurt the situation more than helped. They possibly cut that object off from the birds by touching it.
Now, who knows what preceded this event, or what will happen as a result. I was always taught to never touch a bird's egg or nest, or the bird will be unlikely to return to it. But, I was also taught to have compassion for God's creation. This causes conflict within me.
I have two cats. They are tame. They love being around people. Yet, they are drawn to the outside world. Is it wrong of me to isolate them from the rest of creation by taming them? I'm not sure. As in the words of Antoine de Saint-Exupery, in "The Little Prince": "You risk tears if you let yourself be tamed."
I got my thunderstorm. But it wasn't exactly what I wanted. No sirens. No whirling wind or circling clouds. The torrential rain didn't even come on the same day as the fantastic thunder and lightning. It came the day before. Yes, our power was knocked out, but that wasn't enough. I need to see damaged cars, or at least downed branches....
