I wonder whether birds and the squirrel infrequently seen in our garden during the rainy days, lost their bird calls and chirps since the onset of monsoon!
Neither are they at the feeding station nor in the regular flight stations or engaged in social behaviour of bird calls to each other!
Occasionally they appear, that too under foliage that only a careful look can find them!
As I observed the Tree pie and the Squirrel in the photos above, I found them with a reduced flare for movements!
The climate changes affect them in ways we cannot always fathom!
Dulcie and Daphne are hesitant for their walks as the ground is wet! Dulcie will come running to us when there is a lightning or thunder or a heavy downpour and would want to be carried and comforted!
The silence of the garden in the mornings and evenings gives an indication that birds have moved to better sheltered places.
It was when I saw a toddler, who was in the courtyard running into the house, with a loud cry when the post man arrived in the gate, I realised how children carry fears within. The policemen and the post men have similar uniform. I wondered if the fear resident in the child was instilled by his imagery of police as those who punish!
It was our domestic worker who helped me to understand this. Parents try pacifying an inconsolably crying child by saying, 'I will call the police man'!
Fear is often instilled from childhood! There are children who scream on seeing cockroaches and lizards. From observations I noticed that someone in the family too has aversion towards them. Fear is therefore passed on to others as well!
'Fear not' is a slogan, but its experience within becomes a reality only when there is an attitudinal change!
An interview with children in mid childhood, revealed that they are likely to call the police man on phone in case of an emergency. That was a message of comfort to me as the early childhood impressions can get revised in late childhood!
Fear is self inhibiting and restraining!
It is a good practice to have an audit of triggers for fear that reside within us.
As I do this for myself, I discover new triggers lingering in my mind. It is by giving attention to it, it gets diffused before taking roots in the subconscious mind. One recent anxiety state has been caused by changes in the neighbourhood. There are incidents of people breaking into the houses in the neighbourhood for stealing! Anna responded to diffuse it by having the premises around the cottage well lit with solar lights.
Everyday brings new level of awareness about the way to make living a restful experience!
M.C.Mathew (text and photo)
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