In Springtime we can do things differently

Avian Time

by Reginald Gibbons

The collection manager of the bird specimens at the natural history
museum told of often stopping, on his way to work during spring and fall,
at the immense convention building—tall, long and wide—on the shore of
Lake Michigan, where on the north side he would gather the bodies of the
migratory birds killed by their collisions against the expanse of glass before
first light.

     The north side, whether in fall or in spring—a puzzle.

     Are these particular birds blown off course by winds, and do they return
in starlight or dimness before dawn or under dark clouds toward shore,
making for the large bulk they might perceive as forest?

     They have been flying along this same route for tens of thousands of
years, and not yet has their thinking formulated this obstacle of the city
that has appeared in the swift stroke of a hundred and fifty cycles of their
migration.

      This morning as  I was practicing my usual ashtanga practice on my mat, I heard a few times the sound of geese trumpeting overhead outside. They were loud enough to take me out of my yoga mindset and I began pondering on the migration of theses great birds. I am aware that all birds have their unique ancient paths of migration and to them the path is clear and afore them to fly in the same predictable pattern for thousands or perhaps millioms of years. To them it  does not matter if a building or an airplane is placed in their way by human design and power. I think of the ways that we are preprogrammed in our human journeys and how we repeat the same behaviors,rituals, interactions, relationship styles as if the evolution of our species leaves us as blinded as the geese who crash into death in their million year odyssey across the vast expanse. Yoga reminds me daily that I do have choices , that I do not need to repeat things exactly in the same way if that paricular way does not lead to growth, creativity and the expansion of life.This spring my intention is to live a life that tries out new paths that serve the purpose of growth exploration and rejuvenation.I wish the same for all of you who read this post. We are now 18 days from the long awaited vernal equinox.