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The flustered pigeon
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Thomas Joseph
Mar 26, 2023, 8:56:08 PM3/26/23
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„ò ‘
The Flustered Pigeon
I was driving cab one slow night and stopped into a grocery for some quick shopping. I drove the bags home to run them up the stairs, then return to work. I parked the cab in the middle of the street. Two reasons. First, no parking spots. Second, I was only going to be a minute.
When I got out of the cab I noticed a pigeon standing in the road only inches from the front bumper. I made some noises to make it move. It didn’t. I moved closer. I stomped one foot. Then the other. It didn’t move. Then I got really close and began stomping both feet up and down.
It flapped its wings and took off slow. At first I thought it wasn’t going to make it. Then about ten feet up it’s wings begin to flap faster and it began to soar. I watched in amazement as it climbed all the way up to a balcony 5 stories from the street and landed on the ledge. "Way to go!", I yelled with admiration. Then suddenly from the floor of the balcony I saw the paw of a cat fly into the air and grab the pigeon by its neck and drag it down to the balcony floor from which I never saw it reappear.
The above story is true except for the ending. The pigeon actually managed to flap away from the cat. But the cat gave it's best try. I really did see the paw. Then I began to wonder what sort of trauma the pigeon had it endured to throw it into a state of shock so strong that it couldn’t move even as I approached with stomping feet? Maybe another cat, or even the same one, had done something earlier to drive it to the middle of the road. It made me consider the world in which the pigeon lives, each day a struggle to eat and survive. I felt sorry for the pigeon. Then I began to think about worms and how they spend much of their lives digging deeper into the ground to avoid bird beaks, and I felt sorry for the worms too. But not enough to start a 'Save the Worms' foundation.
The Flustered Pigeon
I was driving cab one slow night and stopped into a grocery for some quick shopping. I drove the bags home to run them up the stairs, then return to work. I parked the cab in the middle of the street. Two reasons. First, no parking spots. Second, I was only going to be a minute.
When I got out of the cab I noticed a pigeon standing in the road only inches from the front bumper. I made some noises to make it move. It didn’t. I moved closer. I stomped one foot. Then the other. It didn’t move. Then I got really close and began stomping both feet up and down.
It flapped its wings and took off slow. At first I thought it wasn’t going to make it. Then about ten feet up it’s wings begin to flap faster and it began to soar. I watched in amazement as it climbed all the way up to a balcony 5 stories from the street and landed on the ledge. "Way to go!", I yelled with admiration. Then suddenly from the floor of the balcony I saw the paw of a cat fly into the air and grab the pigeon by its neck and drag it down to the balcony floor from which I never saw it reappear.
The above story is true except for the ending. The pigeon actually managed to flap away from the cat. But the cat gave it's best try. I really did see the paw. Then I began to wonder what sort of trauma the pigeon had it endured to throw it into a state of shock so strong that it couldn’t move even as I approached with stomping feet? Maybe another cat, or even the same one, had done something earlier to drive it to the middle of the road. It made me consider the world in which the pigeon lives, each day a struggle to eat and survive. I felt sorry for the pigeon. Then I began to think about worms and how they spend much of their lives digging deeper into the ground to avoid bird beaks, and I felt sorry for the worms too. But not enough to start a 'Save the Worms' foundation.
Bruce
Mar 26, 2023, 9:04:53 PM3/26/23
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Thomas Joseph
Mar 26, 2023, 9:15:10 PM3/26/23
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Bruce wrote:
Then I began to think about worms and how they spend much of their lives digging deeper into the ground to avoid bird beaks, and I felt sorry for the worms too. But not enough to start a 'Save the Worms' foundation.
> That is one of the funniest tales I've ever read ;)
Sarcasm? I'm not sure. Anyway the story is true. No big deal, I'm sure
Then I began to think about worms and how they spend much of their lives digging deeper into the ground to avoid bird beaks, and I felt sorry for the worms too. But not enough to start a 'Save the Worms' foundation.
> That is one of the funniest tales I've ever read ;)
all sorts of animals go through similar trauma every day. But watching
that pigeon struggle to take flight only to then land on an apartment
balcony with a cat on it, man that was the story of life right there. What
a jungle it is out there. For some animals even more. How about
squirrels? They live a panicked life. Except in parks where they are
fed routinely and are somewhat accustomed to humans (who by design
or just by chance keep squirrel eaters away). How many bullets did
that pigeon dodge that day? How many tomorrow? That goes for
us too. Every day we dodge bullets we never see. How many times
have we gotten lucky without knowing it to be alive today?
Eat or be eaten
Oh by the way, you are one of the few people who respond regularly
to my posts. This tells me you must be one very lonely person. Or
you actually enjoy my posts. I don't know and I don't care. But I have
blasted your responses to me in the past. For that I will never say I
am sorry although I am beginning to realize that any response is
better than none as I, just like that pigeon, flap my wings in a desperate
bid to achieve flight.
Turn me loose
Bruce
Mar 26, 2023, 9:29:01 PM3/26/23
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On Sun, 26 Mar 2023 18:15:06 -0700 (PDT), Thomas Joseph
<jazee...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Bruce wrote:
>
>Then I began to think about worms and how they spend much of their lives digging deeper into the ground to avoid bird beaks, and I felt sorry for the worms too. But not enough to start a 'Save the Worms' foundation.
>
>
>> That is one of the funniest tales I've ever read ;)
I didn't write any of the above.
<jazee...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Bruce wrote:
>
>Then I began to think about worms and how they spend much of their lives digging deeper into the ground to avoid bird beaks, and I felt sorry for the worms too. But not enough to start a 'Save the Worms' foundation.
>
>
>> That is one of the funniest tales I've ever read ;)
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