A few weeks ago I was running with Fifster at the reservoir.
I saw a bird hopping up and down on the rocks by the water, struggling to take flight. Something was holding her down.
I came closer and Fifi thought I was very kindly offering her a fun new toy.
I came closer still and saw the bird's right foot and wing were tangled up in fishing line.
As I stood surveying the situation, Fifster strained against the leash to get at her new toy. The bird became frantic. Not only was she stuck, but now she was being terrorized by a crazy person and her French bull dog, pug hybrid.
When it rains, it pours, the bird said.
Holding Fifster back with one hand, I grabbed the fishing line and found the rock it was caught under.
The bird decided either I was there to help and she had nothing to fear, or that she would gather her courage to let me know she was someone to be reckoned with.
She stopped moving and looked me straight in the eye.
With my right hand I kept Fifster at bay and with my left, I tugged at the line.
Finally it came free from the rock it was stuck under.
But there was still line caught all around her right wing, and she still couldn't fly away.
To get at the wing, I'd have to get really close, and Fifi would've given the poor thing a heart attack.
I needed someone's help, so I told the bird I'd be back and went to my parents'.
I told my dad we needed some scissors and gloves to free a bird in distress at the reservoir.
He collected the materials and off we went, back to the spot, but the bird was gone.
I told my dad we were too late. I'd let the bird get mauled to death by a bigger bird or something.
He said no, there was no bird body in the rocks. She must've shaken her wing loose of the line and flown away.
I wasn't convinced either way. I tried to move forward with my life, disappointed I hadn't done more to relieve this animal's distress.
This morning I was back at the reservoir and when I passed the rocks, and looked again for her body, I realized that maybe the little help I could give was all she needed. Maybe she was able to untangle the line from her wing herself.
Or maybe someone else came by and helped.
Maybe sometimes, we can't fix something bad for someone completely, but we shouldn't assume there's nothing we can do to help. Maybe if we give whatever we can, it might be all they need to fix the rest themselves.
We really are so powerful beyond measure to each other.
Thank you for this post. It stirred up so much emotion and thought for me. I can see your story being a metaphor for life. We all get our wings tangled up in fishing line at times and we all struggle to free ourselves. Sometimes we can do it by ourselves; other times we need a little help.
ReplyDeleteNothing happens in isolation. Every action begins a new chain of events. We do not always know what came before nor can we predict what will come after. All we can do is try our best to make a difference in the present, knowing our actions will carry forward and spread in potentially unimaginable ways. Who knows what happened to the bird after he finally was able to take flight. And for you, who knows what would have happened had the bird not been there....if you had kept running. What awaited you?
I'd never thought about what might have happened to me had I not stopped to help the bird - who knows how much that little bird actually helped me! Thanks for your thoughtful comment!
ReplyDeleteWhen I first read this post, the following quote came to mind:
DeleteWhen a trout rising to a fly gets hooked on a line and finds himself unable to swim about freely, he begins with a fight which results in struggles and splashes and sometimes an escape. Often, of course, the situation is too tough for him.
In the same way the human being struggles with his environment and with the hooks that catch him. Sometimes he masters his difficulties; sometimes they are too much for him. His struggles are all that the world sees and it naturally misunderstands them. It is hard for a free fish to understand what in happening to a hooked one. (menninger)
I know this comment is slightly off topic, but I thought you and your followers might enjoy Menninger's thoughts. How great the world would be if we all stopped and helped out those who have gotten caught on a line...or if we all took a moment to think about what might be below the surface. Even the slightest action can make a world of difference.
Your quote makes me think of the quote, "don't take the bait!"
ReplyDeleteA friend of mine used to say this to me all the time when I would vent about this or that. When we allow someone or something to get under our skin, we're handing them our peace, just as the fish who takes the bait hands over his life.
When I get caught up in (my own self-created) fishing line (drama), I try to recognize what I'm doing and detach from the drama. I see the drama from an audience' perspective, almost like watching myself in a play.
Usually, what's really bothering me is not what's actually going on, but rather how I think I will be perceived by others watching me in this situation. I don't want to look like a jerk! O like someone considers me second-best. Or not good enough in some way. Whatever the thing may be.
I find that if I tell the story a different way, and stop handing over my peace by assuming other people perceive the person getting under my skin as having some decision-making authority over my value as a human being, the fishing line falls off and I can swim away.