Literally. The Greater Sandhill Cranes here have one “colt” and were teaching it to fly at dusk this evening. One parent would flap its wings for 5-10 feet, then the other. I never saw the little one as they were moving away from us and into taller grasses.
The Sandhills do walk a lot, as exercising their wings seems to take a good deal of effort. And since we’re hand’s on, when we finally let go and let our kids ride the tryke, the bike with training wheels and the ultimate bicycle then car, heaven forbid, we feel a sense of pride and abandonment. I wonder what they feel. They do mate for life and come back to the same nesting grounds.
I wonder what my parents felt when I left home for college except perhaps a vague embarrassment that I’d be out there in the world perhaps casting a bad light on their parenting. I believe I did not do so, but that the strict upbringing led to outright rebellion by my sister closest in age, and a later rebellion that was politically motivated on my part later in life. I’m a better person and better wife because of my upbringing and because I got to do something politically interesting and challenging that changed my life for the better.
Everyone has a voice, too many people don’t find it or exercise it. Sometimes that’s because of culture or religion but I’m blessed to live and grow up in the USA and while college recruiters didn’t knock down my door I found my way. When I went to the career center in college I was told I didn’t have a chance in He”” to get a job. I sent a four-page letter in approved page formatting to the college president telling him that if he wants to run a liberal arts college, he can’t snub everyone in liberal arts in favor of computers and accounting. It was all COBOL and FORTRAN back then.
He wrote back asking me to be a career counselor for liberal arts. I got a better job, and flew solo the first time in my life. When I got that call to start Monday, at twice what my other offer was (both paltry, arts v. government) I took it, soaring not over other job competitors or graduates, but in the fact that I made it. First job, first real apartment. Now I know how that little colt will feel when it flies. Cheers, Dee
Cooking with Dee 