Birdbrain at Work

            I’m worried about the cardinal bouncing on the holly branch across from my husband’s office window. Every few seconds, she flies toward the window pane, flutters against the glass and returns to her perch. She returns every day to her branch and repeats the attacks for hours, never concluding she is getting nowhere, will never accomplish her task and really should move on and get a mate or a life – whatever it is that makes a bird happy. 

            We assume she sees her reflection and thinks she is approaching another bird. On the other hand, if she is seeing what’s IN that room behind the window, she may be entertaining thoughts of nesting. Goodness knows there’s enough stuff in that room to make a bird want to move in and stake a claim for life. 

            As I’m tisk- tisking about her little bird brain draining her energy and time in a fruitless endeavor, I realize there may be a lesson here for me. I want to tell the bird, “move on and get a life; you’re getting nowhere here!” Instead, I think it would be wise for me to direct that pearl of wisdom back to myself. For years I’ve been cajoling, begging, encouraging – OK nagging- himself to clear out his man-cave. I’m like that little bird, making one useless foray after another.

            I’m no birdbrain. I’ve got it now. I’m moving on.