The above is a perching station in our garden, for Magpie robins, Bulbuls and Barbets on an insulated electric cable, where there is a loop of a supporting metal wire. This junction is often the location of choice for the birds.
I felt intrigued by the sameness of practice the different birds follow while perching in this site.
The cable is thick enough for the birds to have a good foothold to support as the cable swings with wind. A bird when perched here can safely turn in all directions to view the sights. I suppose birds avoid the supporting cable and the loop as it gets heated in the sunlight of daytime. Often it is a halting station during the flight path. Birds prefer open space all around when they are on their hopping flights.
A bird is a chooser by plan and design!
Most of us also choose what suits us! It is a common thing to watch people look up to the ceiling to locate a fan, while entering a hall on a hot and humid day. The hall gets occupied initially under the fans in the hall. Those who came late would get the spaces others avoided. When the electricity goes off, which is not often, the early arrivers and late arrivers are on an equal status.
I have noticed organisers of meetings guide people to be seated in t front by delaying to switch on the fans in the back till all the front spaces are occupied. With this some who are away from the air current of the air would feel disadvantaged. I have noticed people shifting back to choose seats under the fan, when the fans in the rear part of the hall are switched on, with more people coming in for the meeting.
There are some who do not belong to either of this group. They occupy seats where they are available. I remember some of them showing no indication of any discomfort. Their focus is fully on the meeting.
I travel by bus sometimes while going to the next town form our village which is ten kilometres away. Often the buses are full with all seats occupied. The two rows earmarked for senior citizens are often occupied by others. By convention they are to offer the seats to senior citizens. That does not happen usually. Seeing me struggle to balance standing, in a moving bus, an elderly lady sitting in the designated lady's seat, offered me her seat. I was touched by that gesture. Although I declined the offer, it left with me thoughts about the choices we make.
We can be tempted to choose with exclusive consideration for ourselves. But there are some who choose, but would remain sensitive to consider the needs of others.
I wonder if the consciousness of the fact that I am only one person among the many stay with us when we make individual choices. We can be habitual seekers of creature comfort or be grateful when creature comfort is offered to us after the more deserving have been looked after!
A choice is a convenience for the chooser! What if someone more needy is denied because of my choice!
They are thoughts that flash through my mind !
M.C.Mathew (text and photo)
No comments:
Post a Comment