Fine Feathered Friends

Dear God, make me a bird, so I can fly far.  Far, far away from here. 

Can you name that movie?  Sometimes this is all I say too. 
I long to be a goose. 
Okay, no snide remarks necessary.  But I envy the geese this time of year.  They just know where to go.  They don't weigh the pros and cons of their decisions.  They don't look at a budget.  They don't talk to a psychologist.  They just do what needs to be done to survive.  Simple, really.

I hear the geese honking, and it makes my heart happy.  They remind me that life keeps on keeping on.  Seasons change. The sun comes up, and hurries back around to do it again.  We are all just in a great big circle or a great big cycle, or a great big.....well whatever.

The geese are leaving to go to their winter homes. They'll get to their sunny destination and wear bermuda shorts and sunglasses, lay on lawn chairs, and drink fancy little drinks with umbrella straws. We'll stay here and forge the long cold winter, endure the icy winds that cut to the bone, and the layers and layers of clothes.

I learned about migrating geese and the formation they fly once upon a time in the oddest of places.  A math meeting.  I was assigned to be on a math team to represent co-workers and help make the oh-so-important math decisions that invariably are shoved into a manilla folder and not implemented.  The first meeting was a complete waste of time.  They taught us how the geese fly.  I sat there madder than a hornet, checking off the list in my head of all the things I needed to be doing, would rather be doing, and should be doing, while appearing thoroughly engaged in conversation.  (It's a gift of mine)  And now, here I am,  7 years later remembering the story. 

Things I remember about geese:
1.  They honk loudly to encourage each other.
2.  They take turns being the V leader.
3.  If another goose gets hurt and needs to fall out of formation, 2 other birds go with him and wait until he recovers or dies, then find another flock to travel with.
4. Each bird flys slightly higher then the one behind to create a draft to help lift and carry the others along.

What lessons can we learn from these birds of a feather?

1.  Maybe we should encourage others during their journey.
2.  Maybe we should take the lead on occasion to give others a break.
3.  Maybe if we see someone struggling, we should stop and help them out, until they can carry on.


Or.....




Maybe we should all buy shotguns and shoot the
noisy *@&!**@%

Whatever makes the world a better place.

Hey, it's Thursday.
If you stand on your tiptoes, you can see the weekend from here.

Love and peace,
(and geese)
Angel