A bird-brained masterclass in persistence
In the mornings when I drop the kids off at school, I'll stop by the park to knock out some pullups on the bars if it's not raining too bad.
There used to be a huge flock of pigeons hanging around the park.
I haven't seen them there for awhile.
But there's always this one pigeon clucking around by itself.
It's weird because there's never only one pigeon. If you see one, there's fifty.
I wonder about that bird.
Was it the outcast? Did the flock move on to better feeding grounds and leave this one behind? Was it too stupid to follow them when they moved? Maybe it was the only one to survive a mass culling.
Maybe.
Could just be that it's a bird.
They aren't the smartest birds, those pigeons, but I do give them A+ marks for persistence. And memory. If they've ever found food at your house, they'll never forget about it. They'll show up years later, like the Terminator.
When you think to yourself about the number one skill you'd want in life, pigeon-like persistence may not top your list.
But if you could show up the way those birds show up, without fail, without making excuses, rain or shine, letting nothing get in the way between you and whatever that guy is eating on the park bench, you could make a lot of magic happen.
Pigeons don't have to stress about willpower or feeling guilty or watching Netflix instead of doing what they said.
Then again, pigeons don't write novels, sing songs, or put on stage plays.
Pigeon's not wondering why that loud two-legged ape is flailing around on a bar first thing in the morning.
Angst is the price we pay for freedom and creativity.
The pigeon, though. He's got the right idea. I'm not saying to go live over at the park and live on hobo scraps.
I'm talking about switching it all off, taking a break from this whole "being human" gig every now and again.
You can always come back.
That's all I got for you today.
Be good & take it easy.
Matt Perryman
PS – Swing by Night's Gate when you get a minute and let me know what's itching your scalp.
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