I have this really big single-pane window in my office. Right outside of it is the landscaping for the front of the house and a view of the street. In the right, one-third of the window is a, now, two-year-old crepe myrtle tree and, this time of year, it doesn’t have a lot of leaves on it. The branches are rather flexible and, when the wind blows, they sway fairly poetically in my peripheral view.
Today, in the midst of wrangling a spreadsheet with far too many tiny numbers, I noticed the branches moving, but also a spot of blue. There were a few blue jays bouncing around trying to score some sort of remaining bounty from the morning rain (and ungodly humidity).
The blue jay was more interesting than the spreadsheet. I started to wonder how hard it was to be a bird. I mean, it seems like a simple life: wake up, find food, make sure you have a place to sleep and maybe stay out of the rain, fly around a bit, try not to die by car or electrical line, or errant piece of rice.
Do birds get stressed about this list? Like, is there a worm shortage? I can’t imagine there are GMO worms or housing construction permits to worry about for the nests, but maybe there is some sort of Blue Jay Council that oversees such things.
Seems like parenting is pretty straight-forward, too. I’ll bring you food, tiny birds, you eat and grow, and then you either fly, or don’t fly, but either way you’re getting out of this nest.
Think about it – no social media, no politics, no financial stress (unless there is some sort of bird monetary system we haven’t yet uncovered, and then I’m going to need to see how those loans get underwritten, man), no awards show seasons, no crappy Super Bowl commercials, no Spanx, no in-laws, no kale or calories, no paper cuts and no laundry.
I think, some days, it might be nice to be a blue jay – if only for the simplicity. The being able to fly – or fly away – thing seems pretty handy, too, but I think the simple part is more interesting.
Problem is, about 20 minutes later, one of these blue jays came crashing into my window either by wind gust or by sheer idiocy and now my whole theory is blown to shreds.
Thanks a lot, bird.
