"Good Lord!" I said, "What're you?"
Owl: I am an angel.
Geo.: But...but angels are suppose to be..."
Owl: I know, robed and winged humanoids, untrained social workers condemned to prop up yesterday's ideologies. We're owls now.
Geo.: Why were people not informed?
Owl: People are as they are, Geo., and it would be an impertinence to expect them to change.
Geo.: Can we not change for the better, Owl?
Owl: Sure, you'd be surprised at what conscience can do. And if that fails, self-delusion and positive thinking can work wonders.
Geo.: I prefer conscience.
Owl: An excellent first step, but victory is only relevant to the strength of the opposition.
Geo.: Flapdoodle!
Owl: An excellent second step! But say it softly. Our influence is finally inversely proportional to the noise we make.
Geo.: I feel sleepy, Owl. Is there any thing else?
Owl: Oh yes, much more --much more you must learn-- but in the meantime, be moderate in your behavior and habits, especially where spirits are concerned. There is danger at every turn.
Geo.: Like a bullet with my name on it?
Owl: Heaven forbid! More likely a shot glass.
Moderation in all things (and quietness) and a conscience all sound good to me. Covered in a confetti of kindness.
ReplyDeleteAnd too many owls would be barely enough.
I know poetry when I see it, EC, and that is what your beautiful comment is to me. Thank you.
DeleteThat is quite the encounter you report. Good of your visitor to call while in meditation with wisdom so near and nicely shared. But I missed the memo about the new stylings of angels!
ReplyDeleteI must admit, Tom, the owl is really a 1-hour timer. Twist his upper section clockwise and he sort of rattles after returning beak and feet to the same direction. Norma bought it for me so I wake up after meditating. She's the real angel.
DeleteA 1-hour timer? And I thought.....ah well!
ReplyDeleteYes, I confess. If you look closely at Owl's midriff, you'll find it is graduated in minutes --but he's a good little piece of angelic clockwork.
DeleteThere are people, Geo, who seem to have no conscience or an angel or owl on their shoulder.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful Arleen, sometimes life puts so much noise in some people's heads, it confounds their reason. Sometimes there just aren't enough owls.
DeleteThere's an owl in our neighborhood feasting on marsh rats and squirrel, but it's never talked to me, probably because it's not blue!
ReplyDeleteSo far my experience with angel-owls is confined to a clockwork one, but real owls also participate in night sounds here, asking that important question, "Who?".
DeleteMeditating puts me to sleep too where I dream of strange and wonderful things. I have never had an encounter with a blue owl while so engaged but I like the idea of them being the representatives of the universe. This one had some good advice for you.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't have to be an owl, Delores. It can be a gentle, musical laughter remembered from a crowd. It can be someone whose eyes twinkled in a certain way as you pass each other. It can also be an enchanted object like my owl --something, anything that puts good thoughts in motion.
DeleteNo wonder owls are known as wise. And is "meditating" the same thing as "napping"? I use the kitchen timer but it doesn't work - too soft a beep! I nap like a log.
ReplyDeleteYes, Jenny, napping and meditation have a common goal of setting us right --and therefore share mechanisms in common. Blue owl has just the right cacophony for me. I too meditate like a log and can attest to its efficacy.
DeleteAt least the little blue critter didn't steal your shot glass.
ReplyDeleteI had a real one (owl, that is) perched in the tree in front, a great horned, about 3 feet tall, eyeing the cat across the street that was wisely staying on the porch. I posted a pic of it a few months back.
Wasn't it Wm. Blake who said "The path of excess leads to wisdom" or something like that?
Dear Mike, Blue Owl is an enchanted object who directs me to solving the unsolvable through a succession of strange questions that would not otherwise occur to me. I'm not always successful, but who(hoo, hoo) cares? Someday I'll present him with "who" as the object of a preposition and see if he can pronounce "whom" with a beak. As to Blake, I think the word "palace" was in there somewhere. Would have to ask daughter who started memorizing Blake poems at 6. She's 33 now and turned out fine.
DeleteGeo....have you heard from Laura of Austanspace?
ReplyDeleteNot since her post of April 2nd, Delores. She said she was having particular trouble with her hands and had problems typing. I sure hope she got the medical attention she needed. I think of her often, and miss her. She is a strong spirit. If you can find anything out about her, please let me know. I'll do the same.
DeleteDear Geo., how delightful - to meet a higher being with a halo of blue light araound it´s wise owlish appearance. (Hopefully this owl is a bit wiser than the one in Pooh-bear - but it seems so).
ReplyDeleteI prefer conscience too. Self-delusion only works for one person, while conscience might have an effect on others.
The other day I read a text where the word "shotglass" often appeared. Of course I could understand what it meant - but now - and I am the visual type - I for the first time saw one, thanks for that!
And thank you, dear Brigitta, for your thoughtful and enjoyable comment. My shotglass is now used to hold interesting pebbles.
DeleteO how I missed your posts! You have filled my head and heart with singing again. I'm back, and will never go away again!
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Yay! So good to hear from you, Laura. Thank You!
DeleteHaha! Nice double entendre with "spirits."
ReplyDeleteThanks, Squid. It's true, I must be moderate in all things.
DeleteDelightful post, as always. That owl (and his human "mouthpiece") are pretty darned wise. Maybe what we need in this world is something to jump-start the collective conscience...
ReplyDeleteDear Susan, I strongly suspect the collective conscience does indeed exist. However, despite the fact that we humans are great discoverers, we have scrupulously avoided discovering it --because it would bother us no end. I have been a Triple-A Auto Club member since 1972 and been jump-started many times, yet have never asked if they do consciences --maybe a jumper-clamp on each ear? Is anybody working on this?
DeleteIf they aren't they should be.
DeleteBy golly, maybe we're onto something!
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Deleteroth phallyka, I admit you got past me by copying a comment from a dear contributor, then trying to include a textural backlink to a gambling site. I excised the latter, but have now deleted your whole comment. Are there no other opportunities for employment in your country? You have my sympathy, but I will not tolerate this sort of misdirection on my blog.
DeleteDelightful, Geo! I'm going to be chuckling over this post all day. Someone should stick this quote on the President's desk in the Oval Office with contact paper right where he can't help but see it: "Our influence is finally inversely proportional to the noise we make."
ReplyDeleteThanks, Louise. I too respond better to subtle hints at improving than loud demands. This research was done by Norma in her near 50 years of trying to civilize me.
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