One of these was a young bird who was desperately enthusiastic, so very motivated. The older bird, by its example, shared what it knew, introduced the younger bird to its friends and showed the young one all the special places. It charged nothing. The young bird, with all this attention, learned quickly and well. But it wanted more and more. It became jealous of the attention the older bird gave even to its friends. It flattered the experienced bird while resorting to underhand practices to try to isolate it from those whose company it valued. The young bird tried to ensure only it had all the older bird’s time and attention. The experienced bird soon realised its game and left the young bird, who was by now independent, to its own devices.
But the younger bird was not satisfied and harassed the older bird for even more time and explanations. It was never satisfied. For many weeks it pursued the older bird while it flew in the sky, pecking and jabbing at it, getting in its way, refusing to leave it alone until eventually the older bird crashed to the ground and lay there, broken.
The older bird was badly injured. As it slowly recovered one of its friends said: Be careful. Don't you see how the young bird tried to isolate you, to take your place? It still does. It doesn't just want your time, it wants to be you.
Be careful, said another friend. Don't you see it has no scruples. It has proved it can do whatever it likes and it has the energy of its youth to carry it through. But what could the older bird do, even if it had had the strength or the will?
The older bird took a long time to recover. Most of the time it lay on the ground, unable to move far. Sometimes it managed to lift itself into the familiar currents where it had always flown but it tired easily now. The young bird disappeared for a while but soon returned to the same skies where it had harassed and hurt the older bird. Seeing the young bird caused the older bird immense pain. Each time it had to relive all the harm that had caused it to fall from the sky, that had changed its life. It worried each time it looked into the sky whether the young bird was going to appear.
The young bird had now changed its appearance and groomed itself to look more like the older bird which was not only odd, but sad because its most obvious asset was its own youth. It still had not learned that the only way to fly well is to be yourself. The bird did not seem to like itself though it did not understand why. It did not know how to address this. Instead, it thought that if other birds paid it attention, which of course they would, the bird being young, it must be a nice bird and it would have friends.
So using its new gifts it played and flirted and cavorted up in the blue in full view of the bird that had helped it and that it had harmed. It did not occur to it the additional pain this caused the older bird or it did not care. It thought only of itself. It could have flown anywhere else to play, but it chose to fly right there.
Other birds said how astonishing it was that the young bird had learned so well. It charmed them with its youth and agility. On the wind the older bird heard how the young bird was gushing, trying to flatter the more important birds in the community so it would have more admirers and feel better about itself.
But other birds flew down to speak with the broken bird, to provide solace, help and company. Some of them the older bird had not heard from in many years. They were discreet and gentle and kind. Several of the more experienced birds shared their own, similar tales. The older bird felt solidarity and gratitude. It remembered that it is difficult events that show friendship and that this is worth far more than the transience of empty applause.
No comments:
Post a Comment