Flight, freeze or Fight!

 

The sequence of the body language of this pair of Indian Pied Myna in a village in north India caught my attention. 

I heard them in distressing behaviour of loud and frequent bird calls, both birds equally looking disturbed or distressed. There were two large birds high up in the air! Was it a fearful reaction to their presence!

I waited at the scene to observe the behaviour of this pair of birds, after the larger birds flew away from the vicinity. The birds took about fifteen minutes to settle down with composure and presence to the immediate surroundings. 

Some birds while being threatened by predators fly away to hide, and some others feel frozen and send out distress calls. The friendly birds from other species would join them to give them protection. A third behaviour is responsive behaviour. The small birds are faster and agile and therefore can resist the slower predators. 

I thought the birds represent human behaviour, when we are in distress: flight, freeze or fight!

The flight response was evident when, a year long ethnic strife started in Manipur. One community left the scene and relocated themselves in other places outside the state. Those who left were unable to return as their houses were destroyed. 

Those who froze in fear had no alternative but to stay on. They too had to endure repeated threats and attacks and some stories of those who were helpless are too disturbing to recall. One wonders if people feel so strongly about their ethnic identity that they practice it without being mindful of the suffering they impose on others. 

A third group in Manipur stayed on to fight and the conflict is raging even now. The local government and the national movement seem to be cold and indifferent, that the conflict is perpetuated by vested interest of some people, it is alleged, to have the hills free of human habitation to start the mining operations, where the subsoil is mineral rich. Their steadfastness to preserve life and environment is drawing the civil society to take note of the wisdom of their approach for the future prospects for the state of Manipur. They are valiant and are overcomes, even when they suffer their personal loss. 

I came across this behaviour in families when they had to consider special support for developmentally challenged children. Many parents  who withdrew, sometimes only one parent, seemed to slip into a depressive orientation and stayed delinked from normal events in life. Those who froze and prolonged their adjustment process invited more stress upon themselves and the family life. Those who were ready to engage the situation, although had to face changes and transitions,  brought benefits to themselves by growing in resilience and creative responses. 

To fight in such situations is to overcome an adverse situation by looking at the alternative pathways of being, becoming and belonging. A family, whose three year old son developed weakness of one side of body following an acute neurological illness, believed that he could recover to a large extent with an exercise regimen. They introduced him to swimming, which the boy was fond of, and now at six years, he is fully functional on the side which was weaker. The family had to take him to swimming three times a week, which was a distance away form their home and was expensive. Meeting the family recently gave me an impression of the enormous fulfilment that the child and parents have for stretching themselves to 'fight to overcome' a challenge!

Let me suggest that the 'fight' ought not to be directed towards others, but towards oneself, to draw strength from the resilient spirit within and the hope that sustains us.

A neighbour family lost the mother; her son who was a support to her in rearing cows took a break from his sports to give more time outside his school hours, to attend to the  domestic needs. His father restricted his work time to be more at home. While talking to the boy, who brings us fresh milk every day, told me 'he wanted to honour his mother by giving his bit to support the family'. I am sure he misses his athletic practices and other sports. But he decided to fight to overcome!

I noticed how the birds above decided to fight the threat by loud bird calls, calling for help from friendly birds. 

The flight or being frozen are not the options. To be present to the situation to engage,  shall make the environment  easier to overcome!

M.C.Mathew (text and photo) 

A rural road scene at dawn!

Anna and I live in a rural setting, our cottage surrounded by a colony of residents who are artisans, craftsmen and workmen in small scale industries and vast stretch of rice field in the front, converted into a rubber nursery to export saplings to Malaysia. 

Having been used to an ordered life and rhythm, I noticed while visiting a rural area in North India, the life in that village is lived with another rhythm. During the ten days when I went out for walks in the morning, the daily sights on the street was similar on most days. 

On one day I noticed morning walkers, children and teenagers, cyclers,  two children gathering drinking water from the refrigerated potable water supply source in the village,  a woman gathering handful of vegetable probably some legume from the bush on the fence of her house, and adult walkers in traditional and contemporary attire !

The last scene of a woman setting out to walk form her home and sitting to rest, after her effortful walk with her upper part of the body bent forward and needing support with one hand on her knee to walk, caught my attention. One group of walkers stopped to have a conversation with her. From a distance,  I got a glance of the nearness that the walkers shared  to share in her difficult health status. 

The last scene above, told me about the way rural life is still lived with participation in the lives of others. The neighbourhood spirit of mindfulness is palpable. 

A doctor living and working in a local hospital told me how a neighbour offered money at no interest for the treatment of a man who was bitten by a snake, who needed two weeks of hospital stay with ventilatory support. He was a farmer and his family was dependent on him. Although it might be about two years before the loan is paid back, the neighbour's goodwill gesture to tide over a crisis, was a gesture which is uncommon!

The politicians speak a language of self-perpetuation. The chief minster in the state where we live is accused of corruption charges. Yet, he is not ready for investigation!  One case against him has been dragging for several years, with judges alarmed by the repeated plea of postponement for hearing the case in the court.  

Amidst such a climate, where the highest office of the state is under suspicion of corrupt practices, to find people, who without counting the cost, help neighbours in need, is a sign of the ground of social morality we still are left with. 

 

The morning scene on the street at dawn in a rural community in north India brought me back to the reality of people moving forward amidst the ordeals and challenges too heavy for them to bear. The message of human resilience is illustrated from stories of endurance and generosity of help. 

While returning after the walk, I remembered an incident, when Bartimaeus, a beggar who was blind, shouted for help, when Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. Those with Jesus 'sternly told him to be quiet'. But Jesus stopped and asked him to be called. He 'casting his cloak, jumped up and came to Jesus' to receive healing of his blindness (Mark 10:46-52). 

I pondered on the two mind set, then and now. Those who want to 'by-pass' those in need and those who are open with their hearts and hands to care and help! 

The rural India is no where in a wellness path for the 'have nots' ! They are the majority in rural India. The migrant workers from Orissa, Bihar  Bengal and Assam are the work force in the farms and factories in our area. They live as displaced people, denying their families of their presence and companionship for securing their economic prospects. 

The photographs above, of people at dawn on their walk in the street, symbolise me of their uncertain pursuit in life! 

I wish, more people would carry them in their hearts!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

 

The worth of a person!

 

A truck carrying timber, driven by Mr Arjun, got washed away to a flooded river, following a massive landslide due to incessant rain, on the national high way 66, 72 days ago. The search was carried out initially under the massive mountain of earth created by the landslide. When there was no indication of a trapped truck on the land, the search extended to the swollen river. 

Yesterday, the cabin of the truck in a mangled state, with the hidden  body of the driver Mr Arjun,   was recovered.  

The truck was partly lifted out of water and the operations would continue today to remove the truck from that site. 

This massive search operation using high powered machines, and scores of divers continued relentlessly after the flooded river returned to its near normal water level.

Though the family and  relatives lost hope of finding the body, the search continued due to the active interest of the owner of the truck and some members of the family of Mr Arjun. 

The government of Karnataka under whose jurisdiction was the place where the landslide occurred, took an active interest in mobilising equipment and specialists to conduct the search operations. Volunteers, local Members of the Legislative assembly, army personnel and well wishers engaged in this recovery process.  

The flower bunch above, from our garden, is our offering to the family of Mr Arjun, while they now perform the last rites of his body!

I have been following the rescue operation from the beginning as the heartfelt sympathy with which the volunteers and the professionals participated in the search process created an impression of high regard they attributed to a life that was lost and to his sorrowing family. The print and digital media brought reports plentifully to create a message of human kindness at such times of loss and grief. 

The initial search was, while it was heavily raining and the river was overflowing on the sides. Later it became more manageable. 

I look back over the last seventy two days, when the volunteers and professionals earnestly, in spite of risk and hardship, undertook the search operation till they found Mr Arjun's body. 

It was a symbol of honour and regard people had for Mr Arjun and his family. 

There are times when a calamity throws open new dimensions of human brotherhood! I felt touched and moved by such an intense commitment to give a honourable funeral to Mr Arjun rather than allow him buried in the debris of the landslide!

Human life is valuable, honourable and memorable! This message came forth from the dedicated search operation for an ordinary person, who was lost in a landslide! 

M.C.Mathew (text and photo of the landslide, truck and the recovered truck from Malayalam Manorama dated 26.9.2024).

 

Pigeons and Koels !

The Feral Pigeons, commonly found in the streets, have variant body designs. They occupy tall buildings and can sometimes be considered a nuisance as they multiply and make those spaces as their permanent night shapers. 

The Asian Koel are special birds as the union territory of Puducherry and the state of Jharkhand have adopted it as the state bird. The Koel tunefully sings from tall trees and is often not easy to be spotted as it remains in the foliage of tall trees. The Koel lays eggs in the nest of other birds, thereby abandoning the responsibility of breeding to other birds.  

It was after a while I happened to spot these two large species of birds while visiting a town recently. 

The pigeons live publicly and can be found in the streets during the day, perched on cables, posts or terraces. The Koel is less visible in the common places, but can be heard in the mornings with long bird calls! 

The Pigeons make their presence visibly and the Koels make their presence known through their bird calls. 

The visible presence and the audible presence- both are equally significant. 

During the recent landslide and devastation to life and property in Wayanad, there is a visible presence of humanitarian services to support people, who lost their homes and members of family. Most of them live in transit homes currently.  

The audible presence of environmentalists, raising questions about indiscriminate land development of tourism resorts in different hilly areas is a voice of reason and caution! I like the way these questions are raised to create rationality in land development activities. 

I wish the voice of reason would be raised globally against the human suffering on account of conflict in Israel and Ukraine! We need sustained voice against terrorism, unlawful migration, military rule, spying, human trafficking, internet based unlawful activities, gun culture, racial polarisation, unequal distribution of wealth, monopoly and crony capitalism and suppression of liberty and freedom. 

We live in a world of uneven distribution of resources and prospects. The environment is being exploited for the comfort of some. The moral voice of self regulation by showing mindfulness towards others is missing in the public space! 

The Feral pigeons occupy public spaces and the Koels occupy the nest of other birds to lay their eggs! 

The birds and human behave strangely!

M.C.Mathew (text and photo)

Waiting for Food !

The birds above were looking for food in the feeding station in our garden!

I had filled the bowl at dawn. When I went back after half an hour I found the birds above, waiting to be fed. One Bulbul reached the bowl and opened its beaks to have a bite of the fruit. But the bowl was empty as other birds consumed the morning supply. 

It was immediately after refilling the bowl, I turned to the newspaper to read about shortage of food following the escalation of war in Lebanon and Gaza, because of the mindless provocative behaviour of the government in Jerusalem. It looks like children are worst affected lot, as food supply chain is disrupted. 

I feel that the UNO, and countries such as USA, UK, France, Germany or India did not do enough to negotiate a peaceful settlement. 

I long for peace and this flower bunch in our garden greets me with that message. 

The jasmine plant above in our garden, allows a dragon fly to rest on its emerging bud. It hosts a dragon fly!

Why is Israel is not willing to allow the Palestinians to stay in their territory and demilitarise that region! The law in nature is to protect and offer  hospitality to those who are vulnerable! Why can't Israel be mindful of the Palestinians who have nothing left to live on!

I am surprised that the global leadership is passive when so much human suffering is caused to the Ukrainians and Palestinians!

Soon the advent season would be at our door step to remember the birth of prince of peace in a manger ! But peace is a far reality for many! 

Will there be an equivalent of the Quaker movement, which brought people and communities together for peace during the Second World War!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

The five movements!

I remember watching the grooming exercise of small birds on many occasions and did not seem to think of it as a programmed activity. When I noticed this Sunbird perched in the neem tree in our garden, what I noticed first was how it inspected different parts of its body. Having done that,  the bird followed five movements in an order and followed the same sequences about ten times. Every step was followed in each cycle of these movements. 

The following were the five movements of grooming in a sequence, which I happened to notice in this Sunbird today. 

The last photo above was revealing when it stretched its body. The contrast with the first photo above, before the grooming activity is obvious in this photo. 

The bird attended to the feathers, unfolding the wings, flexing sideways and downwards, and stretching the body in the axial plane. 

It was while watching the above process in repeated cycles, I realised the attention that a bird gives to keep its body ready aerodynamically for all flight movements. 

A male Sunbird, probably the pair of the earlier one, was perched in the same tree in another branch engaged in grooming. It followed the steps of the earlier bird. 

It was also engaged in combing the feather and oiling them with its beaks. 

A consultant physician told me last week, how difficult it was to get fifty percent compliance of a regular body exercise regimen, he prescribed for people above forty years of age, to keep themselves fit, agile, trim with good exercise tolerance. They seem to give every form of excuse to justify in not being able to do the exercise, twice a week. 

To see the birds do the grooming of their body two or three times a day  speak a lot of the conditioning they create and follow as a routine. 

As I write this, I recall how I too have had occasions of missing a three kilometre walk prescribed to me 11 years ago. Even during travels, I keep reminding myself to keep the exercise as essential. The threefold emphasis for senior citizens, moderate exercises, low carbohydrate and high protein diet and a regular sleep rhythm seem to be taken casually even by medical professionals. 

One thing I have found easier by practice is to use the staircase and avoid taking lifts. While proceeding to the security section in an air port recently, as I took the staircase to climb and not the elevator, another person also joined me to find out why I take the stairs! That led to a friendly conversation of mutual benefit for the next hour till the boarding was announced. He was young and was struggling to wean himself from some indulgences.  

The bird's habit of grooming which I was able to watch today morning gave me yet another stimulus to be steadfast and consistent in guarding the body, mind and soul from weariness and dysfunction!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)