I love your writing. I went back and reread your piece about Flaco and the deliberations between safe and unsafe bets in our lives.
Flaco experienced a catalyst in his life (he was freed from his cage) and was suddenly at the crossroads - leave or stay. Flaco chose option A and got the flock outta dodge. But given what we know in hindsight, was it the right decision? It’s luxurious to ponder all the whatifs…
What if in one universe Flaco never left his cage and was stricken a few months later with a nasty avian flu. He later dies in a vet’s lab cage and that was the end of Flaco.
Or maybe in another universe they introduced a Eurasian Eagle Owl of the opposite sex and what then ensues is a mad Eurasian Eagle Owl love affair that keeps the tabloids hopping for the next few months. Freedom not immediately missed.
Who knew what universe the restless Flaco was to end up in. For that matter, who knows what universe any of us fall into.
Flaco was a hunting bird and lived for what he was built for; flying and hunting. Cage door open, and he was gone, baby, gone. He probably didn’t consider a missed chance at meeting Ms. Flaco and certainly didn’t worry about catching the flu somewhere on a remote branch in Central Park. He just did what he was built to do.
As a “thinking” species, we try to reason our way to successful outcomes. “Ohhh I’d really like to do this, but wait, what about THAT… “. Some of this reasoning goes a long way (which is likely why I didn’t end up a jailed smuggler), but some of the deliberation between the safe and unsafe ends up as extraneous noise laced with hubris. We can’t know what universe we’ll end up in - in the end.
Flaco crashed and burned against the side of a Manhattan building doing what he was made to do, likely oblivious to safe bets and universes. Likewise, some of us are not made to live by safe decisions, but instead prefer to fling the door open and chase the fantastic. Not so much ignoring what consequences our direction might bring, but instead trusting that we can’t possibly know the universe before us. We do what we were built to do.
Oh, and Flaco likely didn’t lose too much sleep over what his animal friends thought about him leaving.
I have never enjoyed a comment on my writing as much as this one. Thank you for taking the time to write this. I too wonder about parallel universes and different possibilities for him. I believe you hit the nail on the head that we try to reason our way to successful outcomes- but it is just fear perhaps dressed up as hubris that we can control or effect any outcome. 🙏🏻💕
Flaco probably knew Steven Hawking…
I love your writing. I went back and reread your piece about Flaco and the deliberations between safe and unsafe bets in our lives.
Flaco experienced a catalyst in his life (he was freed from his cage) and was suddenly at the crossroads - leave or stay. Flaco chose option A and got the flock outta dodge. But given what we know in hindsight, was it the right decision? It’s luxurious to ponder all the whatifs…
What if in one universe Flaco never left his cage and was stricken a few months later with a nasty avian flu. He later dies in a vet’s lab cage and that was the end of Flaco.
Or maybe in another universe they introduced a Eurasian Eagle Owl of the opposite sex and what then ensues is a mad Eurasian Eagle Owl love affair that keeps the tabloids hopping for the next few months. Freedom not immediately missed.
Who knew what universe the restless Flaco was to end up in. For that matter, who knows what universe any of us fall into.
Flaco was a hunting bird and lived for what he was built for; flying and hunting. Cage door open, and he was gone, baby, gone. He probably didn’t consider a missed chance at meeting Ms. Flaco and certainly didn’t worry about catching the flu somewhere on a remote branch in Central Park. He just did what he was built to do.
As a “thinking” species, we try to reason our way to successful outcomes. “Ohhh I’d really like to do this, but wait, what about THAT… “. Some of this reasoning goes a long way (which is likely why I didn’t end up a jailed smuggler), but some of the deliberation between the safe and unsafe ends up as extraneous noise laced with hubris. We can’t know what universe we’ll end up in - in the end.
Flaco crashed and burned against the side of a Manhattan building doing what he was made to do, likely oblivious to safe bets and universes. Likewise, some of us are not made to live by safe decisions, but instead prefer to fling the door open and chase the fantastic. Not so much ignoring what consequences our direction might bring, but instead trusting that we can’t possibly know the universe before us. We do what we were built to do.
Oh, and Flaco likely didn’t lose too much sleep over what his animal friends thought about him leaving.
I have never enjoyed a comment on my writing as much as this one. Thank you for taking the time to write this. I too wonder about parallel universes and different possibilities for him. I believe you hit the nail on the head that we try to reason our way to successful outcomes- but it is just fear perhaps dressed up as hubris that we can control or effect any outcome. 🙏🏻💕
Loved this! Encouraging on so many levels! Thank you for taking time to nourish and enrich my life with your thoughts and your humor!
Thank you for reading and sharing how my writing impacts you - a writer needs readers and knowing you’re out there makes the work meaningful 🙏🏻