I’m often surprised at how keen critters can be when it comes to learning whom to trust and whom to distrust. Here is a recent example.
One afternoon while on a walk, I saw a group of five kids about 8 to 11 years old, who were huddled in a semi-circle next to a fence. I stopped to see what was going on, and there was a small bird, a sparrow, on the ground in the middle of their huddle. It looked terrified.
The kids told me it wasn’t hurt and could fly but they had it trapped in their circle. The only way that bird had to go was straight up and the kids were bent over and holding their arms up in something like an arch so the bird couldn’t get out.
One kid said loudly, “We’re going to catch it and I’m going to take it home.” The other kids didn’t say anything.
I said, “Which do you think that bird wants: 1) To be caught and taken to your house and kept in a cage, or 2) Be let go to fly free and be with his bird friends?”
One of the kids reacted, saying, “The bird wants to be free, Johnny, and we should let it go.”
A couple of the other kids made noises of agreement, to put Johnny under some peer pressure to let the bird go. Sure, a couple of them could have just stepped back so the bird could get away, but they were all in this together.
Johnny seemed angry and hollered, “I don’t care, I wanna take it home to keep and I don’t care what you think.”
One of the girls used a strong but steady voice to reply, “You’ll care when you want to play with our toys or share our snacks.”
The other kids agreed, and the balance of power shifted almost tangibly against Johnny.
They made Johnny step back, then they all opened their circle enough for the bird to fly up and away. The bird lost no time executing that maneuver, and it amused me that the bird chose a flight path directly away from Johnny and right over the girl who had argued for letting it go.
As that bird flew away, it veered near where I stood and looked straight at me. Then it was gone. I believe that little critter understood everything that happened. Maybe not the words, but the entire evolving scenario. Agree?
Learn beach, pier and jetty fishing skills in SBCC class
I am teaching classes about fishing, for SBCC’s Extended Learning Program. The next in a series of classes begins on the evening of Monday, May 20, and runs weekly for eigh class meetings. The class title is Experience Shore-based Fishing and teaches beach, pier and jetty fishing.
To sign up for the fee-based class, visit https://sbcc.augusoft.net/ and tap on Click to Register. Registering will give you a student ID number. Keep that number because it will allow you to register for the class.
After registering, find the Search box and enter 22799, which is the class ID. The search takes you to a page where you can sign up. If you are already registered in the system, just login and search for the class ID, 22799.
— Capt. David Bacon operates WaveWalker Charters and is president of SOFTIN Inc., a nonprofit organization providing seafaring opportunities for those in need. Visit softininc.blogspot.com to learn more about the organization and how you can help. Click here to read previous columns. The opinions expressed are his own.
