(This is an entry from my blog at Whitehawk Birdwatching and Conservation, [www.whitehawkbirding.com] that I wanted to share with you).
The other day a friend of mine said “when things are easy, people lose interest.” He was talking about relationships, but in the days that followed our conversation, I couldn’t help but think about this statement. Is it true that we crave drama? Are we only truly happy when we are making ourselves miserable?
As birdwatchers, perhaps we are guilty of this to a degree – we spend hours in all kinds of torturous weather, endure the wrath of biting insects, lug heavy gear up and down mountains, all in the hopes of adding a new species to our life list. While most of us do enjoy the feeling of accomplishment, and, let’s face it, the challenges inherent to bird watching, there is something to be said for taking it easy once in a while and for appreciating what we have in the moment.
With this thought in mind, I spent the afternoon watching birds along a trail that I walk almost every single day. I watched the ubiquitous Canada Geese float around the pond; and spotted the usual sparrows in the bushes; I enjoyed slowly stalking a Great Blue Heron as it fished for its dinner, and the quiet surprise of a Bald Eagle perched in the leafless tree above me. Though I didn’t see anything “new”, I certainly began to see things in new ways.
I was reminded of how truly beautiful Mallards are – with their iridescent heads and curlicue tails; of how graceful and prehistoric-looking snowy egrets can be; and of the simple pleasure of enjoying a bird’s song, regardless of the species that is singing.
Though I agree that challenges make life interesting and can make us better, stronger people, perhaps it would do us all some good to, once in a while, pursue a different kind of “challenge” – that which entails finding love without games; seeing beauty in the ordinary; and embracing the extraordinary in the mundane.
The other day a friend of mine said “when things are easy, people lose interest.” He was talking about relationships, but in the days that followed our conversation, I couldn’t help but think about this statement. Is it true that we crave drama? Are we only truly happy when we are making ourselves miserable?
As birdwatchers, perhaps we are guilty of this to a degree – we spend hours in all kinds of torturous weather, endure the wrath of biting insects, lug heavy gear up and down mountains, all in the hopes of adding a new species to our life list. While most of us do enjoy the feeling of accomplishment, and, let’s face it, the challenges inherent to bird watching, there is something to be said for taking it easy once in a while and for appreciating what we have in the moment.
With this thought in mind, I spent the afternoon watching birds along a trail that I walk almost every single day. I watched the ubiquitous Canada Geese float around the pond; and spotted the usual sparrows in the bushes; I enjoyed slowly stalking a Great Blue Heron as it fished for its dinner, and the quiet surprise of a Bald Eagle perched in the leafless tree above me. Though I didn’t see anything “new”, I certainly began to see things in new ways.
I was reminded of how truly beautiful Mallards are – with their iridescent heads and curlicue tails; of how graceful and prehistoric-looking snowy egrets can be; and of the simple pleasure of enjoying a bird’s song, regardless of the species that is singing.
Though I agree that challenges make life interesting and can make us better, stronger people, perhaps it would do us all some good to, once in a while, pursue a different kind of “challenge” – that which entails finding love without games; seeing beauty in the ordinary; and embracing the extraordinary in the mundane.
