I met a parrot the other day. He was bright green in color — as green as the leaves in the garden. He came to some gardeners one fine day and decided to never fly away.
I’m always amazed at the ability of animals to trust humans. There seems to be an unspoken bond between us — a bond we sometimes forget we have when we’re blinded by greed, religion, tradition, or some other societal construct.
Because in spite of the horrendous cruelty we show animals in the meat, fashion, and dairy industries, we’re also capable of benevolence. Humans can live in harmony with animals and nature — and they’d be better for it.
That’s saying something though, isn’t it? The dichotomy of Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde exists within all of us. The things we understand and feel compassion for are the things we protect, like our domesticated pets and close friends. The things we don’t understand and are distant from, are the things we’re most likely to feel apathy for, like wild animals or people of other cultures.
I meet the parrot on my walk some days and play with him. I’ve also formed a special bond with other woodland creatures in my garden like the woodpecker, the mynahs, and the squirrels. I look at them as if they were people — you know like those Disney characters.
There’s never a dull moment around them.
We don’t notice the small contributions of ecology to our day-to-day survival. If you observe Nature you can learn a lot about yourself, heal your mind, and even perform better at work.
Look at the wild creatures of the sky and the soil, not just your pet cat or dog. Talk to them. They have things to teach us.
