Some mornings you wake up knowing deep down inside that it's going to be one of those days to write home about; one of those days to take home to Mother.
Golden-crowned Kinglet
You wake up feeling like you've got the world on a string, you're sitting on a rainbow, and you've got a song to sing that can right any wrong.
And I, of course, have an additional blessing, I've got a miracle-working woman in my life--I have, Ms. Wonder, and she keeps the world in balance--not too little and not too much, but just right!
What a world! What a life! I'm in love!
What's the Brazos got to do with it? The Brazos, known to the early Spanish explorers as the Río de los Brazos de Dios ("the Arms of God"), originates in the high plains of New Mexico and empties into the Gulf of Mexico near Galveston Bay in Texas.
But brace yourself, and forgive me for bearing bad news, but this morning is not one of those mornings.
Instead of rainbows and worlds on strings, I woke this morning with a return of the dreaded vertigo. And to make it worse, Ms. Wonder has left for Raleigh.
Consequently, I'm alone for the entire day with nothing to depend on but me--well, me and my walking cane made from a red oak tree that once grew beside the Brazos River near Waco, Texas.
Why am I bringing the Brazos into this post? It's because with so much history and heritage behind that red oak tree, my walking cane must surely have powerful mojo and what I need today is all the mojo I can get.
And so the setup is like this: vertigo, dizziness, and a complete absence of Ms. Wonders versus, the Walking Cane of God, plenty of Jah's Mercy, and a box seat view of the animal circus in the backyard.
Reflecting on the circumstances, I decided the day was going to be survivable. In fact, I was feeling somewhat bucked as I took my seat on the lanai, caffeine in hand, and began recording birdsong with the Merlin app.
I opened the app and immediately Merlin suggested my randomly selected bird of the day would be the Golden-crowned Kinglet.
Now, I don't expect you to be an ornithologist and I don't expect you to be an Audubon Society member so let me explain.
In folklore, the tiny, fragile, G-c Kinglet symbolizes the importance of remaining flexible and open to change throughout life's journey. My American Indian ancestors viewed the kinglet as a symbol of new beginnings, and hope.
Eureka! I'm sure you understand why my outlook on the day was back in the sunshine.
Once I clicked "OK", the new recording began, and right out of the gate, you know what I'm about to tell you, don't you? Merlin found a Golden-crowned Kinglet. The very first bird of the day!
I know what you're thinking. You think I'm exaggerating just a teeny bit. But no, my friend. It's true. I'd received a thumbs-up from the Universe telling me that all would be zippy. I mean think of the odds!
Need I tell you that I was bucked? Zip-a-dee-do-dah! You'd be bucked too. Admit it.
I felt like I had the world on a string, sitting on a rainbow, with a song to sing that could make the rain go away if there was rain.
I decided to go for a drive. Nothing major. I wasn't going to Ocean Isle and not going to Southport. No, I would be sensible and not tempt Fate. After all, she has been known to act the Bitch. I'd simply go to Belville, taking the backroads and following the slow speed limits.
I headed out, following the shorter and less traveled back entrance. I had the windows down and was listening to the Billboard Top 40 countdown for the week of Halloween in the year 1980.
Whoomp! What the hell? Suddenly I felt like...well, I'm not sure what it felt like but it wasn't pleasant.
It was a feeling like Napoleon must have felt when he woke one morning and remembered that Nelson sailed into the Port of Cairo yesterday evening and burned the French fleet. It couldn't have been pleasant for him.
I decided to do a U-turn and go back home. Getting off the road now was my plan. Without room enough for the simpler maneuver, a K-turn was called for, but, foiled again! Another car was close behind me.
I continued out of the village and onto the cross-town highway, which brought me to the main entrance. I made the first right turn and was back in the community commons. Minutes later I was home again.
In less than 10 minutes, I had made a small circle and a steep emotional freefall to arrive back where it all began. Not on the lanai but back in bed, at least until the world stopped spinning.
For the rest of the day, I'd try being grateful for what I have instead of regretting what I don't. I was reminded of the Rolling Stones theory that...
"You can't always get what you want, but, if you try sometimes, well, you might find you get what you need."
I tried hard to embrace that thought, however, what I couldn't get out of my head was the assertion by P.G. Wodehouse that...
"Life is filled with promises of eternal springtime and a God on his throne making all right with the world.
But what is life really but a series of sharp corners round each of which Fate lies in wait for us with a stuffed eel skin?"
That's the news. But don't despair. Remember, we always have tomorrow, and tomorrow, my friend is another day.