Chapter 13

The Cardinal, proper location, Northern, lad and lady … the Cardinal is a bird who brings up many philosophical points. How? The answer is simple, and yet complex - it is because of the way this feathered friend looks. The male is a bright, bright red. His mate is brown with shy fringes of red in her frock (and sporting bright red lipstick, i.e., her BEAK)… The scientific explanation is that the male is supposed to be a bright color and the female a duller color because the male is supposed to do battle with those who would find the nest [got to protect the family]. He is the lure. The female huddles down in the nest and waits until her knight, in shiny red armor, defeats the enemy…

Well, yeah, but… how did genetics know this? He’s red because the Cardinal bird “cells” met in the back rooms to discuss the situation? I understand the concept, but the reality is rather strange – HOW did it happen? I’ve also heard that it is genetic trial and error, that throughout the years, animals, birds, humans change, until the baby of the species is better and stronger. So when did Mother Nature become a Master Race Scientist?

Bah. The Cardinal is a symbol/memory of mine – at a crucial point in my life, I looked for a sign, a symbol for the day, I looked out the window, because I’ve always taken my cues from Nature, and the Cardinal swept across the sky, and I saw him, clearly, due to that bright red color.

Therefore, I choose him. Hey, we all have symbols that get us by, help us survive. When I look at the Male Cardinal, I think of blood, bright red blood from a cut. Is he Royalty? On the other hand, is this the crown of thorns spiking the forehead and drawing the essence of life out to play? Is the Northern Cardinal a reminder to be true to your REAL self?

I live by the rule – the Macrocosm reflects the Microcosm - we can find all our answers in Nature, if we only LOOK.

Life is a network, a patchwork, a quilt, threads intertwined, connected…. I’ve had people read my writings and respond, “Oh, isn’t that cute…”

Grrrrrrr … If we don’t take care of our environment, the stage that we act out our lives on, we humans will perish! Birds are the descendents of dinosaurs! They deserve some respect!

The easiest way to get on the wrong side of my bed is to tell me “isn’t that cute…”

Maybe I need to look for the Cardinal today, the red male Cardinal. Maybe I need to be reminded of the blood that courses through all our veins and that connects us all, men, animals, birds, the universal consciousness…

Maybe, I need to go out and play.

That’s another rule I live by - it is through playing that we find serious truths. We knew that as children. We need to reclaim that truism, as adults.

The Northern Cardinal's call [song] is sharp, sweet, and short. This bird is a poet, master of alliteration and contrast.