Pigeon

Today was crappy. Nothing in particular was horrifying wretched - it was just a bad day. An aweful, lousy, and overwhelmingly pathetic day.

Ever had one of those? When you wake up and are just one miserable SOB? For me, that was today. I tried to rush into Newark to grab football tickets for the homecoming game, then realized that I was going to be late to work. Somehow that transformed into me being a failure at life, and I had a bit of a mini-breakdown. In my car.

So, as I was sniffling and wiping the snot traveling downwards from my nose, I turned the car around and headed towards work.

On my way, something happened. I saw a group of doves flying over Kirkwood Highway - pure white doves. I'm thinking that somebody was married today or there was some sort of ceremony.

However, in the middle of those doves was a black bird. A pigeon, I realized, as I squinted at the flock. He certainly wasn't supposed to be there.

But, the flock moved as one - pigeon and all. They twisted and turned in the air, riding the currents like they were just so thrilled to be alive. Almost acrobatic in their flight, I watched as they circled overhead with no real purpose.

And they didn't care one bit that they had a pigeon among them. Because do you know what another name for a pigeon is?

Rock dove.

It occurs to me that I may be able to learn something from this brave little pigeon.

There he was, surrounded by the beautiful white plumage of his relatives, and y'know what?

He didn't give a shit. He was just happy to fly.

Sometimes it's the simple things in life. Lately I've been so consumed with just the daily grind that I forgot. I forgot to look around and appreciate the simple things.

Life is what you make of it, right? If I can make the concious decision to have a positive day, then what's to stop me from having one? I forgot this. I forgot that I am a fully-fuctioning and capable human being. I haven't had any great tragedies happen to me. I'm just an ordinary human, just like the billions of others out there, trying to make her way in the world.

Thankyou, little pigeon, for reminding me of this.