Birdsong

Mourning Dove illustrated by Diane Sudyka

As soon as I learned how to drive, wasn't it like so many of us… Such a feeling of freedom, what music you played and how loud? Sometimes lately on solo rides to town, I’ve kept the radio off in the car and with the windows down, I listen for bird songs. They are everywhere. It's something you have to tune into, like a frequency, because the sound of your car or even your own thoughts can be louder.

One of the most beautiful sounds to me is that of the common mourning dove. The common seagull is another matter. While I don't particularly love the sound they make, it usually means I am at the beach, and that is a wonderful thing indeed.

Jonathan, is that you?
Sand Dollar Beach, Big Sur Coastline

Have you read Jonathan Livingston Seagull? Written in the 1970s, it's a simple, zen-like fable and a quick read at under 130 pages. It's a bit about nonconformity and going after your dreams.

"I want to learn to fly like that," Jonathan said, and a strange light glowed in his eyes. "Tell me what to do."

Chiang spoke slowly and watched the younger gull ever so carefully. "To fly as fast as thought, to anywhere that is," he said, "you must begin by knowing that you have already arrived... "