transitional birdys
[kinda weird image, i know. but bear with me a sec...]

so, i saw this bird on the sidewalk on the way to work this (friday) morning. it was a strange and sad little moment--not sure what happened to the pigeon, but it was deader than doornail when i walked by. something about it made me stop, walk back, and take a camera photo.

at least part of it was a reminder from my graduation from college (15 years ago! and yes, i graduated, who knows how...). i'd just finished my last final ever. can't remember what it was, but i do remember leaving the building (it was big and red and relatively modern). everything was a bit surreal, as i'd just gotten through a sleepless week of finals, a huge chapter in my life was coming to a close, and the future was completely unclear. i didn't even have a place to live yet, never mind a job or anything. needless to say, i wasn't one of those graduates going on to successful $60K careers (not even close...my poor parents!).

it was in this frame of mind that i walked out and saw a dead bird. a pigeon had flown into the window and died. not sure why, but i wrapped the bird in paper, picked it up, and took it to the studio, and started an etching from it. i never finished that etching, but i still have the copper plate somewhere.

later that night, i went to the cafeteria (relax, this isn't that kinda story), and found a friend (more like a carload of friends) to drive me to pick out a puppy at someone's home. our town was small enough that there wasn't a proper pound. instead, the pound (where the lost critters went) gave me a phone number, and that number hooked up people who wanted animals with people who had too many animals. turns out that a family an hour away had a litter of puppies that needed homes. when we got there, there were 4 puppies left, and each of us gravitated toward a different pup. i don't remember much, except getting lost near a place called the lunchbox (i think), and satchmo's big belly and smushy square face of cuteness. the kids had named her satchmo, and despite having a list of names (and not knowing the first thing about jazz), the name stuck. the other puppies, stayed behind (not a bad setup: country to run in, kids, a lineoleum floor to pee on. i'm sure they all did well), and satchmo rode back with us to campus.

it was the beginning of my adult life (such as it is). and it all started with that dead bird. weird, but that's how i remember it.
Labels: change, dogdogdog, moley, noho, roadtrip2k, spring

:: ewee 4:39:00 PM [+] :: 0 comments ::
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