I’m fortunate to live near San Francisco Bay, where I overlook a bird sanctuary. At certain times of the year, like the last few weeks, it’s an aviary wonderland. Egrets, Blue Herons, Canadian Geese, Terns, Pelicans, Cormorants---thousands of birds, some migrating, some permanent, all darting this way and that. As I watch, one question always comes to the forefront of my brain.
I’ve often wondered about that too! You see the odd pigeon who has been hit by a car, but not the thousands you would expect to see. I hope they fly into the sun and keep going.
I’m leaning into my Medicare years. Age and some health stuff have given me an opportunity to slow down a bit. More gratitude, thought, orienting to teaching more and doing less, marveling that I made it this far. No excuses for not using what I know to be true. Determined to make what’s left enjoyable. I hang out with some older guys you know. I get to learn by example how to be graceful and accepting as my body fails.
I can relate to this "ageing thing", still flying but just not the same. Yesterday at a tennis match, the captain of the opposing team asked me to help out her singles line with the Coleman 7-point tie-breaker because she is a new captain and neither singles players had ever had to play a tie-breaker!! I helped them out, while losing my dbles match in the third set (no tie-breaker even though it was Super Bowl Sunday), 0-6. LOL, your friend, CaroleT
Old age isn’t for the weak. Brian Adams has a song “18 until I die”. I’m an 18 year old with a 73 year old body.so I’m 18 with 55 years experience at being 18. I’ve been married 48 years I don’t give up easily.
Great column and great question. I too live near a bird sanctuary in foster City and you are right I don's see any birds with canes or with bad backs only health looking birds eating and flying and swimming or in the case to Egrets just standing there.
Terrific column, as always! This was something I hadn’t thought about, and now I will. It would be funny to see one bird peel off the formation and go take a brief nap and then rejoin the group!
You are an excellent writer plus I love your “off the wall” comments. It never occurred to me why birds aren’t showing signs of aging until I read this! Ha! Thanks
Hi Nick - If a bird can't fly, it's life ends pretty quickly. I watched a male mallard get hit by a car and then go into the Civic Center Lagoon and get drowned by other male mallards. In Maine I watched a mother duck try to protect her three babies from a seagull, who challenged them at ocean's edge. The seagull finally faked the mother out and flew off with two of her babies, eating them! Along the Corte Madera Creek mallard families show up spring after spring with 4-6 babies, and each day there is one less baby swimming along. Eyes open and you will see more than just the beauty of nature! Wayne
One of life’s mysteries. Like how graffiti appears . Have you ever seen anyone with a spray paint can seeking immortality by painting unintelligible messages on an overpass? Or where all the rubber goes when it wears off if your tires… (perhaps it has something to do with the newly discovered molten layer in the earth’s crust). I think we have to resign ourselves to the fact that some things will remain mysterious. Like how airplanes fly even though they are very heavy. No one knows how that works.
I'm not the first to comment that the only thing worse than getting old is not getting old
Young birds fly in high-speed aerodynamic “V” formation whereas the older birds go slower and can be seen in formations resembling “W”or”T”or“F.”
I’ve often wondered about that too! You see the odd pigeon who has been hit by a car, but not the thousands you would expect to see. I hope they fly into the sun and keep going.
I’m leaning into my Medicare years. Age and some health stuff have given me an opportunity to slow down a bit. More gratitude, thought, orienting to teaching more and doing less, marveling that I made it this far. No excuses for not using what I know to be true. Determined to make what’s left enjoyable. I hang out with some older guys you know. I get to learn by example how to be graceful and accepting as my body fails.
At your best!
You are at your best!!!!
I can relate to this "ageing thing", still flying but just not the same. Yesterday at a tennis match, the captain of the opposing team asked me to help out her singles line with the Coleman 7-point tie-breaker because she is a new captain and neither singles players had ever had to play a tie-breaker!! I helped them out, while losing my dbles match in the third set (no tie-breaker even though it was Super Bowl Sunday), 0-6. LOL, your friend, CaroleT
Old age isn’t for the weak. Brian Adams has a song “18 until I die”. I’m an 18 year old with a 73 year old body.so I’m 18 with 55 years experience at being 18. I’ve been married 48 years I don’t give up easily.
Great column and great question. I too live near a bird sanctuary in foster City and you are right I don's see any birds with canes or with bad backs only health looking birds eating and flying and swimming or in the case to Egrets just standing there.
Terrific column, as always! This was something I hadn’t thought about, and now I will. It would be funny to see one bird peel off the formation and go take a brief nap and then rejoin the group!
I love your phrase "nice to grow old without being old".
Cheers!
Sandy
👍❤️👍❤️👍❤️👍
You are an excellent writer plus I love your “off the wall” comments. It never occurred to me why birds aren’t showing signs of aging until I read this! Ha! Thanks
I never thought about this before. Thanks for bringing it to everyone's attention!
Hi Nick - If a bird can't fly, it's life ends pretty quickly. I watched a male mallard get hit by a car and then go into the Civic Center Lagoon and get drowned by other male mallards. In Maine I watched a mother duck try to protect her three babies from a seagull, who challenged them at ocean's edge. The seagull finally faked the mother out and flew off with two of her babies, eating them! Along the Corte Madera Creek mallard families show up spring after spring with 4-6 babies, and each day there is one less baby swimming along. Eyes open and you will see more than just the beauty of nature! Wayne
One of life’s mysteries. Like how graffiti appears . Have you ever seen anyone with a spray paint can seeking immortality by painting unintelligible messages on an overpass? Or where all the rubber goes when it wears off if your tires… (perhaps it has something to do with the newly discovered molten layer in the earth’s crust). I think we have to resign ourselves to the fact that some things will remain mysterious. Like how airplanes fly even though they are very heavy. No one knows how that works.