April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
REFLECTION
Like a bird in a tree
Like a bird in a tree
I am masterful at "living in the moment." It can take me 45 minutes to go to Stewart's, which is less than half a mile from our house, to buy milk and eggs for breakfast.
I arrive and see someone I know. After chatting, I pick up the milk and check out a display in the center of the store. I walk to the register, pay for the milk, get back in the car and notice my yellow sticky note, reminding me that I forgot the eggs.
I go back into the store, head for the eggs and see a little boy meticulously choosing a candy bar. I pause and reminisce about our sons. I finally return home to find my husband has given up waiting and is sitting at the breakfast table, finishing a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
As an "in-the-moment type", you'd think I'd be a news junkie. However, I can only stomach one hour of news per day. The talking-heads report "breaking news," as if international and domestic affairs, investing, marriage and health are isolated, minute-by-minute occurrences.
I don't buy it. When life gets complicated, I yearn for the perspective of a bird up in a tree.
There is a spot in our town park where mockingbirds perch and rapidly mimic various birdcalls. When it's time to mate, the male flies straight up through the air and then appears to drop helplessly. At the last second, he lands safely on a branch and starts singing. (Talk about falling in love!)
What attracts me to mockingbirds is that they sit alone, at the very top of the tree, taking in a full view of life below. In order to imitate the songs of fellow birds, I envision them observing, listening and learning.
When I was young, I thought the present determined the future, kind of like a geometry theorem: If this, then that. Now, at 57, I laugh at my foolishness. The sums of all singular moments are sewn into the tapestry of life -- and not just ours. We are connected and we influence folks we don't even know.
Today, with digital capabilities and social media, many enjoy publicly documenting their lives. I understand the appeal, but overemphasizing the importance of daily details is similar to the relentless reporting of "breaking news." It's like reading one page of one chapter of a lengthy book.
When memories of poor choices pop into my head, I cringe and wonder, "What was I thinking?" But, if I perch a bit higher and take in a broader view, I realize that, after the dust settled, good things came about.
The most important was humility. Coming in a close second was compassion for others. Pulling up the rear, and equally beneficial, was a desire not to repeat the offense or one similar in nature.
Whether living in the moment or observing life from on high, there is much to be done in a day. So, if you happen to see me meandering aimlessly, feel free to suggest that I come down from the tree, check my sticky note and get home.
(Mrs. Bonanno attends St. Mary's Church in Albany. She can be reached at [email protected].)[[In-content Ad]]
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