finding my birdsong
Why a blog? In short, I’m looking for a voice. My voice. I guess this is an appropriate introduction. A few months ago when our friend Ike was staying with us, we went for a walk and noticed parakeets flying about. Parakeets are an invasive species here in the UK and throughout Europe. Something we don’t see back in Canada. I still find them quite striking in urban areas. Bright specks of green against the grey sky or sidewalks. Ike asked what it must have felt like to be the first parakeet to have been released or to have escaped. New, unexplored territories. Unfamiliar landscapes. Flying around, looking for their own kind. How it must feel to be listening out for a familiar birdsong. And then it struck me. This is how I’ve been living my life.
I’ve been feeling like a lost bird looking for my flock. I spent many of my formative years drifting along from group to group, never feeling fully connected to most around me. It was as if they were speaking a different language at times, a different dialect at least. Traces of familiarity, but never feeling like I quite belonged. A couple years ago, something shifted. A spark. A rush of energy when spending time with peers. A curiosity. An intentional way of living. It was a tune I recognized. I was suddenly in a land where I understood what those around me were saying. I’ve finally found those who sing the same song. But wait, I’ve forgotten how to speak. Years of drifting has led me to losing my voice along the way. There’s a reticence in me as I explore these new lands, but I can feel it shrinking with every step. So this is me finding my birdsong. Thanks for tuning in.
- Next: watercolours