So I’m working the sales floor in our Mission Viejo store where three of the walls are all glass and a bird flies in through an open door and could not get back out. This was the second time a bird flew into the store in three weeks so this was not my “first” experience. Last time it happened, it was a Cockatiel; a domestic bird which was very odd. We finally got it into the warehouse and, after a while, it flew back outside. I must admit that I felt a little bad letting this bird go free because a Cockatiel is not suited for the OC, unless it lives in somebody’s house. Anyway, a wild bird, a humming bird to be exact, flew in through an open door this morning. I was working with two older ladies who actually noticed it first. I went to try and escort the sweet little humming bird out of the show room without getting pecked on my dome. This must have been a funny sight since I had fallen the day before injuring my left arm and back. I tried the best I could to wave a pillow in the air next to the bird to encourage the bird to fly toward and the out the open door. Let’s just say I was not very successful and can almost feel the pain as I type.
Then one of the ladies said, “I will just grab it with my hands and let it go outdoors.” I sarcastically thought to myself, “Yeah! right.” But she says to me, “Stand over there so the bird does not go that direction and I will grab it and release it outside.” You have to admit this was a pretty lame idea, but she’s the customer (by the way, in my book the customer is not always right, but they are always the customer…that’s a whole other blog) so I politely took my place and she proceeded to cup the bird inside her hands. Then she walked outside to a bush, stretched out her arms and with her hands surrounded by the branches she opened her hands. The bird stayed on her hand for a brief time then went airborne hovering just above her while she held her hands still. Then after a few more seconds it took off like a humming bird having a pillow waved at it. Trust me. I know what that looks like.
I don’t know about you but this just simply amazed me! I guess I didn’t know one could catch a humming bird with their bare hands. The way she did it was astounding as she slowly moved toward the bird, gently surrounded it in her hands, and then slowly released it. So what’s the point of this story? I actually have a couple.
First, keep the doors closed. I’m kidding. There are truly no dumb ideas. When a 70 something year old women told me she was going to catch a hummingbird with her bare hands my mind raced to, “That’s the dumbest idea I have ever heard. It’s noon somewhere so maybe she’s already had a few. Let me get my video camera. I could use some extra cash when I sell this to Americas Funniest Home Videos.” I think you get the idea. I thought this lady was a few pennies short of a dollar. If an idea seems ridiculous at first, hear it out. You might be surprised. It could even inspire you to think of something you would not have without the helpful nudge. You may even see an old lady grab a hummingbird with her bare hands.
Second, fragile circumstances require fragile responses. I’m not sure how durable a hummingbird is, but I suspect if I would have made contact with the pillow things probably wouldn’t have ended well for the bird. This woman not only captured this bird with such care, but she released it back to freedom with such patience. If I would have had a live bird in my hands, I would have tossed it into the air yelling, “Fly be free!” Most likely, the bird would probably have dropped to the ground judging by what it did when the women let it go. She never squeezed it, never pushed it. She just held it with care. When in a fragile situation we need to not over react. We need to react appropriately. Sometimes if we react too quickly or irrationally we may make the situation worse.
What circumstances in your life might require being handled in a manner you would never have imagined? When you respond make sure it’s appropriate to the circumstance.
