The hawk is back

No, that’s not code. I saw the fall/winter resident just moments ago.

I suspected he was back two days ago because the birds flew off in a panic and the squirrel who’d been nibbling a peanut flung himself into the grape vine and then against the window screen where he clung in fear.

Soon, my little hummers will be flying south in a perilous journey, trying to avoid dangers like hurricanes, lack of food, and other hazards.

This is the march of time that creatures understand innately. The days progress through seasons and creatures move on.

Don’t Wish Time Away

My mom was 40 when she had me. That’s not old today when women are having their first child in their thirties or beyond. But I was the sixth kid and there was a gap of 18 years between me and my oldest sibling. By the time I’d come along, she’d learned more and grown wiser.

She was probably the age I am now when she would tell me, “Don’t wish your time away. Once you get out of school, time will pass in the blink of a time and you’ll wish you had more.”

I didn’t see how that was possible. There were days when classes would seem to pass with the progression of molasses.

But now? I echo cliche: where in the world has the past twenty years gone? I’m clueless. I traveled, did fun things, had sad times, had good times. Maybe I even learned a few things about life. But the one thing that’s for sure, I’ve seen a vast amount of changes in the world. Probably all generations do.

Just recently, I came across an article about a Facebook group of millennials devoted to mocking the technical savvy (lack thereof) of baby boomers. My thought was, “One day, kids, if you’re lucky, you’ll be the one lacking savvy and youth.”

My mother tried to convey: one day you’ll get old. It will be far sooner than you expect. Enjoy your life. Be kind. Be good. Be responsible.

Being Aware

Perhaps the most ironic element of millennials mocking baby boomers over technology is that technology is removing any opportunity for them to be present. Tuned out and plugged in, the population seems to be unaware of what’s happening around them.

As with everything, there are exceptions. I know that there are individuals who don’t devote every waking moment to their phones or video games because I see them. A few of them.

I’m sure it’s not cool to appreciate nature these days. However, if more of us appreciated nature, we might understand that nature is in crisis. Why is this important? Because even if your sole interest is your smartphone, you still have to live on Earth, breathe oxygen, eat food, all of which are supplied to you by nature, by your Planet Earth. We don’t have anywhere else to go. That’s a reality.

Our Earth is a miraculous place. The people, the creatures, the plants, the insects, its geological history, its natural history. If everyone just took a few moments to watch, examine, listen, feel, I wonder how much more they’d appreciate the vast wonder around them. Might we fight for the life of our planet?

Full Circle

So the hawk is back. A half of a year has passed. I haven’t done much of what I thought I would in those months. The hawk can’t afford to waste time. I definitely can’t either.

I can’t slow time down, but I think I can choose to live better.