Preface: Based upon an actual bygone event…
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Once upon a time… there lived a brash, young Robin, who lived to assert his territorial dominance. That innate disposition was put to the test one sunny, mild, spring morning. As he perched on a budding lilac branch, swaying in the gentle breeze, he happened to notice another robin, also sitting on a nearby, budding lilac branch.
Flapping his wings and speaking in (what else?) fluent robin, he angrily tweeted, “How dare you invade my territory!” But the other bird simply appeared to silently mock his threatening gestures; in no other way did he respond to his scolding. So fueled by his aggression, Robin swooped in to make “the kill” never once noticing how he was attacking his own reflection in a garage windowpane.
In an attempt to end the bitter hostility, a Human came rushing out of his house, arms waving in the air. The Robin flew away, albeit, his retreat only momentary. As soon as the Human went back inside, the fierce battle of the birds, mind you, one real, one phantom, resumed; and then raged on and on for many, many days to follow.
In dismay, the Human watched further. He took no joy in witnessing this senseless war. Being a proponent of non-violence, he did not even want to see this Robin harmed or dead. No, the knee-jerk military style reaction of whipping out a firearm and blowing this bird’s head off, was NOT an option. Nor was the do nothing approach, for that would either result in that combative bird knocking himself out, or doing even greater bodily injury, should that windowpane shatter.
The Human, shaking his head glumly side to side, now drew parallels to this own species. Was not territoriality what fueled acrimonious wars throughout the pathetic history of the human race? Was not that Robin now facing the same horrors of war, namely, pointless destruction, injury and death?
And even more disturbing a thought; had not that Robin gone to war based on totally flawed reasoning? After all, there was no real enemy robin, ergo, there was no real threat to this Robin’s territory, in the first place.
With the wisdom of an astute diplomat, the Human, once again, ventured forth into the great outdoors, this time with a hammer in one hand, a large burlap bag draped over his arm and six golden nails in his shirt pocket. As soon as he held the thick brown fabric in place to cover the garage window and then nailed it up securely, the phantom robin was banished from the neighborhood, peace returned and everyone lived happily ever after.
The moral to this story is twofold:
- Brains not brawn make for a lasting Peace!
- Always look carefully before you rush to war; you just might be your own worst enemy!
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Posting History:
- MySpace: Tuesday, September 12, 2006
- WordPress: Sunday, March 20, 2016 8:18 am
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Stay Publicly / Properly Masked!
Stay Safe at Home!
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-30-
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