This am when we were having our morning coffee, a baby bird flew up to our porch and landed in the empty planter inches from my face. We talked gently to him and he didn't appear to be frightened because he sat there for a short while. I was surprised because I don't remember a bird choosing to stay that close to me except for the birds I used to hand feed and raised and sold in my "Bird Pimping" days.

Then the little guy flew up and away and into the sky....and right into (and not on) a cable wire which hangs over our alley. He fell to the ground and as we rushed over to the other side of the porch to see if he was alright, three--not two--blackbirds quickly flew and landed nearby to where he was. My instincts wanted me to take a cloth, cover him, and move him to another area rather than the alley, where we have so much traffic. We also have quite a few cats around this area. I held back hoping his "family" would "steer" him to a safer path.  I used to try and "save" baby birds when I was a little girl. I would see one on the ground and thinking that they had fallen our of a nest and that the mother and father birds didn't know about it, would carry them home to "raise" it. Most of the times, the babies would try and escape, flapping their wings frantically and jumping away from me. Unfortunately, for the bird, I was able to catch them. Several times, I had near-misses with angry blue jays swooping really close to my head. That didn't stop me. My mom shaking her head back and forth and telling me that the parent birds were looking for their "baby" didn't stop me. I would find a little box, and fill it with leaves, tissues or a cloth. I would dig up earthworms, and squish them with some object to get them mushy enough to try and feed the birds. I don't think any of these birds survived through my attempts to save them. I wasn't a bird and didn't have or know the right way to save the little baby birds.

Seeing all of this reminded me of how AA is. We are all a family and we try to save one another.  Just meandering (or stumbling) into an AA meeting isn't going to save us. It may keep us alive a while longer, but it is by working the steps with a close family member (sponsor), learning to use the "tools" and being surrounded by other alcoholic "family members" who are trying to help us survive --that is what saves us.

I hope that little bird is safe now and was guided by his family away from scarey things which may harm him. I'm not a bird so I feel he is in good "wings".  I know my AA family is keeping me safe from the scarey things which can cause me harm (ABC, convenience stores, bars, etc.). I am a recovering alcoholic and I feel that by being around other recovering alcoholics I am in good "hands". I feel our instinct to protect other alcoholics in AA from danger is as strong as the instinct those birds had to protect their baby bird.

(I know this is kinda corny but that's ok, as long as I am corny sober .)

BTY