THE BIRDS WILL FLY AGAIN

Remember, sages, great minds, writers and some wandering minds sometimes share a common.

They wrestle to meditate, outside general patterns. At such moments, life is imaginatively given to everything. Such a process zooming to a height is hardly ensconced in docility. Anything interfering with the antennae of illumination becomes irritation. In this drizzles, a nugget could appear and apprehended.

Remember, such men and women sometimes watch and listen to birds. They make analogies. They share  stories of nature. They teach. They instruct. They leave life lasting nuggets.

Remember, when nuggets are not properly used, they hardly waste. After all, nuggets at the end usually return to their place. Where do people keep gold? Hardly in dustbins. Even if dropped in a dustbin, gold always return to its rightful place at a time. That is the nature of gold. Just think about it a little more.

Remember, man’s interest in birds cannot only be explained by their mobility and closeness to man. It is not curiosity or their unique nature per se that attract. Lesson and  wisdom drawn from birds are fathomless.

Remember, when generations pass, new ones may have to learn anew from birds. Not many persons have the privilege of seeing kinds of birds in their natural habitat. For example, in your community, have you ever seen parrots in large numbers flying loudly in glorious colours in the morning from the east to the west? Locals would say they are on (Ije nbia) medical tourism. Is it type one or two? Have you ever watched how they return swiftly as a flock to the east in the evening? Do you observe they hardly make the same level of noise as in the morning? Why is there a difference? If you have watched parrots on National Geographic, perhaps, you may not have had this unique  experience.

Remember to draw from specially designed legs of birds which enjoy blood flow but still withstand powerful electric current. As birds line on naked electric wires, reflect on the nature of their legs  and how you can make yourself to withstand some kind of societal shock without changing your blood flow to that of birds.

Remember, new shock waves in politics, economy, religion, social life stretch to the ends of the earth from time to time. These shocks rout mankind. Watch birds one more time as the shock from the east to the west does not alter their ability to withstand shock. It can be explained, birds have shockproof. You are right. But where is yours and mine? Any lesson from legs of birds?

Remember some birds night vision is a marvel. How do some birds fly in the dark? There are studies about it. But let’s go ordinary. Birds like  Okwi-okwi – Owl,  Obu, and Usu are night birds that have enjoyed mystical attributions in many societies. It is interesting that some birds are comfortable flying in the dark using echolocation than in the day. During the day, they have dimmed vision. What do we learn? All birds have different areas of strength. They utilize it and create mysteries. If the owl is only a daytime bird, uncanny shawls around it would have been minimal. Use your night vision well. Create unique things about yourself.

Remember,  chirping and sounds of birds provide plethora of ideas in music, timing, weather forecast, reconnaissance and fire. Some birds give tips on human threats. Others are simple, yet giving  intricate melodious compositions. Mimicry is rudimentary and second nature to some birds. Ask ornithologists.

Remember to take a sample. Nduri, amana ani, obe na nkpu. The dove assumes, that is why it landed on anthill, as if it is mere ground.

Remember, Okpoko asi na onye na anuro ka ona efefe, nti chi onyea. If one does not hear when Okpoko is flying, one is either deaf or dead.

Remember, Ka onye ha, ka ona da, bu afa miri chukwu nwa nza. The baptismal name of nza  – a very little bird, is contentment!

Remember, Okwi-kwi sina onye ya gbachi nkiti, na anya adina mma.  Okwi-kwi – Owl says “if one insults and is ignored, it means one is insane because one should know how dangerous it is to insult the Owl.”

Remember, we know the Falcon’s story.  We know about the eagle’s story. We know about the dove’s story. They fit in didactic stories found in sacred writings. Without doubt, many can tell these stories in their context.

Remember there is still a challenge.

Remember to mention names of birds in your ancestral land. What do you know about them?

Remember,  besides bird’s mesmerizing colours, sight, beaks, peaks and picks, birds teach great lessons. Ponder on flying, landing, breaks, stillness, strength in lightness and dexterity. Check out migratory patterns, skills for success, alertness, pollination, agriculture and environmental cleanliness.

Remember, names of birds vary in every land. There could be name uniformity in biology textbooks. But, how do birds behave in each region and climate? How are they perceived in each culture, religion and philosophy? This knowledge would probably reset new trough of wild extrapolation on people and issues. Extant lingo is “egun-egun be careful” on extrapolation.

Remember, understanding nature of things is not age dependent. But experience helps a great deal.

Remember, there is natural pattern too. Water flows down not uphill. On the surface there are times it looks as if the flow goes against natural pattern. At this point, it requires a deeper look to identify the cause of the unusual. Such investigation can lead to knowledge of disruptions in geologic equilibrium ushering ‘unnatural experience’. In human eyes and experience, it is something deeper in naturalness.

Remember, for example, the dizzying experience of trying to capture a feature in physical geography at primary school of those days. Here are village children under 9 years doing physical geography of Africa/Egypt and the Nile.

Remember, they see the River Niger flows down south to the Atlantic. On the other hand the Nile flows into the Mediterranean in the ‘north’ of the chalkboard on the wall. This appears to go against the rule. In the minds of under 9 years children of the 1960s with limited knowledge of the outside, it is a puzzle. Why does the Nile River flows up? It takes proper shading and explanation for the young minds to see beyond what they see, to capture the essence. Here comes the rule: “To capture, you must identify properly, explain and shade”-otherwise nothing has been done. Marks are lost.

Remember, logical reasoning without experience is not easy sum game. Unless one is naturally endowed to be smart, minds are shaken during Friday afternoon arithmetic test each week.. Arithmetic of those days was a combination of everything .

Remember, interesting aspects are birds transmogrifying to figures. 100 birds on a ‘tree question’. A hunter fires. He kills a number. How many are left on the tree?

Remember, often, pupils confess giving the wrong answer.

Remember, logical reasoning sometimes is aided by experience. When there is  a bang, how many bird will wait? Humans hardly wait in the event of an explosion. Movement even one step  is usually made either to safety or to see what exploded. To brave or to see, is only by ‘the lion heart’. But movement is natural and a sure action.

Remember, all the birds not killed are sure to fly away. To adults, it is simple. Knowledge and experience have come to their aid. But stop, there are logical reasoning issues that imperil  leaders and their followers today.  Aforementioned twin factors may be responsible for their seeming confusion, some say dullness. Limited knowledge and experience like the school boy. Don’t be shocked when you see adults betray amazing ignorance. While mental health sometimes could be culpable, there is need for adults to do more work. This simple story could foray into ‘illogicalities’ in grasping issues that supposed  not to cause offence. This is important. Valuable time is lost daily on issues logical reasoning could resolve for individuals. Is it the nature of humans to always return to kindergarten in adult life? Why do some kind of quarrel ring all the time?

Remember, this is only one side. Will the birds return to the tree again? Yes is the answer. It could take a while. There is symbiotic relationship between birds and trees. Activities on trees will continue because birds are comfortable perching on trees. Will they remember their fallen ones? Not likely for a long time. How can this be proved? Simply watch birds in their flock. Cast a stone and all will fly away. After a while they will return and by their gangling plays and chats, a deduction could be made.

Remember, humans often behave in the same way even though they are not birds! My folks used to ask when death hits closely. What are things to be done to really mitigate death? There are some but not too many. However, our lives should not be like birds that immediately forget what has happened. Quickly forgetting could allow the same thing happen in succession. Yet, we should forget, otherwise life will be a burden. Do not be like birds that easily forget. But do not forever carry a loss through life. This is simple and complex. Open your mind.

Remember, parallelism is a bumpy road to completeness in analyses of nature. Notwithstanding its limitations, there are a lot that can be drawn here and there. We can always start somewhere.

Remember, when crisis ravages the world, the pains looks interminable. After  a while, there will be a remission and life  goes on. After the ravages of Covid-19, many things will alter,  as always in history. People will adjust and life goes on like the birds returning to the tree once again.