Big Thud Marks Perilous Work Day
July 21st, 2008 by Jae Chantler
I love working from home; well, until today. Just as I logged in to get a head start on emails, there was a big thud. I ran to the window to see a robin all shaken up, on my deck. I think it is a daddy robin (no red tummy and not a baby). Well, after a few moments of holding its mouth wide open, it hobbled over to the tree where its friends hang out. Does that mean he will be okay? Did he break his jaw? Darn window, why did I wash it yesterday?
You know, I have always had an oversensitive place in my heart for animals. I must confess I could never watch “Lassie” and to this day (don’t tell my kids), I cannot watch Bambi. The moment I see smoke coming out of the forest, I know something bad is going to happen, and I don’t want to know the rest. Something about an innocent animal suffering is beyond my coping mechanisms.
Today has been pure agony. What do I do? What should I do? I cannot pretend it didn’t happen. I swear the birdies are actually crying for their distressed little buddy. And when I take a break from staring at my laptop, I have to peek through the blinds. Every time my hopes are dashed; the poor soul has not moved in over 10 hours! Whom I think is his lover or whatever you call them in the avian kingdom, keeps coming over to him with food and then flies away. Will she eventually leave him? Is he hurting? How long will this go on? I hate this. I mean really, it is just a bird and I have enough work to keep myself distracted. But alas, even after pulling the blinds down and smearing mud on the window (so they know it is an impenetrable surface), I have no relief. Thank goodness we don’t have any cats!
I will be working from the basement tomorrow.
July 22nd, 2008 at 9:30 am
OK, Jae, you are on the verge of bringing me to tears. Being noosed by three auditors (yes, three now, no longer just two), stuck in a box with no windows to view the beautiful sunshine, and now, in the process of trying to figure out how creative I can get with my writing, I read about your birds. As you are working from your basement today, do you think you could throw in something cheerful. lol. Either that, or I really think a couple of beers are going to be in order so I can sing that tune about “Tear in my Beer.” Sorry, just letting out the sillies.
July 23rd, 2008 at 6:38 am
This reminds me of a traumatic experience I had while just a youngster where I was weeding the garden (something I detest to begin with) and, just when I was reaching for a weed, I instead groped a dead robin. Yah, it had hit the window. I was wondering what that smear was. In any case, count yourself lucky that your robin is still alive, I am still scarred for life!