What's Good For The Goose....

For the past 5 or 6 weeks, walking down a certain walkway to get into my work building, there has been a Canadian Goose nesting in one of the gardens that line the walkway. My work campus is full of these things. I like to joke with my wife that these are Mallards, but I know they are Canadian Geese.

But this one particular nesting goose, of whom I have become very fond, has been sitting in the same spot for weeks now. Sitting on top of her eggs, waiting for them to hatch.

It's got to be a thankless job, sitting one spot for weeks, enduring all kinds of weather. But then, my wife reminds me that they are Canadian, and therefore rain and cold do not bother them.

It's just been rather touching to walk by the same goose everyday and see her sitting there, protecting her eggs.

With all that's been going on lately, especially at work, well, I haven't been the most excited to walk in there everyday. But walking past this goose on the way into work now everyday makes me smile before I go in.

Recently, I walked a tad bit too close to her, and she must have felt threatened, because she stood up and put her wings out to the side like Batman before he drops off the top of a building. Of course, I have no intention of harm,this duck charms me as I walk by her everyday, and for some reason makes me feel a little better about life before I go into work. But it was neat too see how quickly she rose to protect her eggs, the future chicks.

This all she does every day. She sits on her eggs, as they mature, protecting them. We all at work assume there is a male duck that brings her food each day, but I haven't seen him yet.

Her only purpose in life is to protect her young right now. And I'm no bird expert, but I think once these chicks hatch, she will nurse them for a while, then they will all fly their separate ways. But right now, her sole aim in life is sitting on those eggs, making sure not a soul gets near them. That's true loyalty.

It's funny to me that we, as a race of human beings, always feel so far superior to animals or mammals of any kind. Hunters shoot living things for sport, or to 'cut down on population', claiming a superiority to anything not human. Heck, we've all on occasion, shooed a dog or cat out of a seat, so we, the humans, can sit down. Because we rule this earth, right?

Textbook-wise speaking, I'm sure that is true.

But I think we could all learn a little something from these creatures, especially this particular Canadian Goose.

She is loyal beyond the measure of several human beings in the world. She is totally selfless. She will not let these chicks down, no chance in hell. I think with humans, there is always a chance we can be let down, even by loved ones. That's just reality. We are fallible. We make mistakes. We let people we love down, though we may try not to do so.

But my goose, she is not letting her chicks down. Sure, one could say that this is just nature. This is the way these creatures operate. They don't have the brain capacity to be as multi-faceted as us humans, for lack of a better term. And yes, we are on top of the food chain.

But this goose, to me anyway, serves as a reminder and affirmation to the beauty of life all around us. We cannot take it for granted, we can't let people we love or claim to love down.

I think we could all learn something from this goose.

D

P.S., I've named her Jane. :-) I'm going to be sad when her and her chicks have flown away. But I'll be happy for Jane that she will again be free.

Dear Mike

It's now been over one month that you've left us. It has taken me this long to be able to write about it. It's funny that two blogs ago ("Good Weekend")you were one of the good friends I was referring to that I spent time with the previous Saturday. I'm glad we got to hang out that one last time. We reminisced, we played darts, we had a few beers, we enjoyed ourselves. I got to shake your hand and give you the shoulder bump one time before you left. I feel good about that.

I'm not one for religion really, but I have to believe that you are in a better place right now. You're in a better place playing softball, poker, and breaking balls.

We go back 19 years when you sat by me in a few classes because our last names were close alphabetically. That was freshman year at St. Joe in August of 1990. Two 13 year olds with so much life ahead of us. We argued through high school, boy did we. Dice footballs games and arguments about prom logistics had one of us leaving the cafeteria table fuming on any given day from 1990-1994.

Then college years and thereafter came, we went to different schools, but still hung out. Tuesday and Thursdays during the semester at my house, just chilling, watching tv, listening to music, watching 'Friday', and calling girls. Then weekend nights rolled around before either of us were 21 and you could usually find us at Gilston park with beer we 'hey misterred', just waiting for police to drive by and shine their lights, making us run for dear life.

We thought we could sing too, remember 'harmonizing' in that park pavilion? We were trying to impress people around us, but I don't think anyone was really impressed. The pop song of the week was our street corner doo-wop at that park.

Man, what times.

Then we grew up... wives, kids, jobs, and we didn't hang out as much. But when we did, we picked up right back where we left off the last time we had hung out. The mood never changed between us, from ages 13-32. None of that awkward 'we haven't seen each other in a while let's make small talk because we don't have much in common anymore'. That never happened. No, we went right back to breaking balls like we were back at that St. Joe cafeteria table eating that Thursday stromboli that we coveted.

I stood up for you in your wedding, thanks for letting me be a part of it. Thank you for standing up in mine.

Your wife is a beautiful and strong woman. You did good there. We will see to it that she has support from us for the rest of her life. Your kids are gorgeous, and I know you will live on in them. Your son is already starting to get that long and straight hair that you had. Remember when you used to gel it over in high school and we'd bust your chops about it?

Oh yeah-we both know I grew up the heavier kid in school. Thank you for being the one friend of mine who even in a heated argument, never went there. That means more to me than you will ever know.

We had a great friendship, and I will never forget you.

Remember when we were 18 or 19 year olds who thought we had seen it all already? I used to discuss what my funeral would be like, and I told you if anything ever happened to me I wanted "I'll be missing you" by Puff Daddy to be played there.

The other night, before your wake, I went down to my stereo, played it and I cried, like I haven't ever cried before.

I will always be sad, but as time goes on the more I think about you the more I smile and laugh instead of cry, because I am remembering a great friendship. I don't know who I am going to call now every year on October 28th to say happy birthday to, but you can gaurantee not an October 28th will go by where I don't say that to you in my heart.

Yeah, 'that'll work'.

We will always remember you bro, and we will be chilling one day again soon.

"Until the day we meet again, in my heart is where I'll keep you friend..."

I love you brother.

Peace out Mike.