Monday, April 13, 2009

I Let Out Such A Scream....

...I was afraid the neighbors would be running in with their guns cocked.

Now it all sounds pretty stupid.

I used to phobic about all pets and animals, except maybe gold fish. Conveniently, most pets were forbidden in Bell Park Gardens, Bayside, New York, when I was growing up. I think they only allowed caged animals, like hamsters, fish and... birds.

At some point, I worked very hard on myself and trained myself not to totally freak out near dogs and cats. I even became a cat lover of sorts and would even voluntarily hold and pet them.

But birds are animals of "a different feather." (You may groan.) I have awful panicky memories of when some neighbors allowed them to fly around their apartment. I shake and shiver just at the thought of them flying around and flapping their wings.

And now for the story...

This morning as I was getting ready to go down to Tel Shiloh to meet my friends, I was in the kitchen. I don't remember exactly what I was doing. We have one of those "open plan" livingroom, diningroom and kitchen in an "L" shape. The door to the merpeset, balcony was open, something very common in warm weather.

Suddenly a big bird flew in. It must have been as frightened as I was, because it kept trying to get out, but birds aren't too bright. It kept crashing into the walls and windows. I kept trying to open the windows so it would leave.

Finally it did, thank G-d.

2 comments:

rickismom said...

Normally, the birds who fly in, can fly out... but this week I have the kitchen blinds angled to let air in, and birds out (so they don't bring chometz on their feet to my kitchen), and so birds entering the apartment from the back keep getting stuck in my living room. I duck and run open the window for them!
A friend of mine was so petrified of birds, her husband gave up and does "kapparot" with money.

Batya said...

Wow! I guess you don't have screens and don't share that phobia with me.

I didn't think of the chametz, just the flapping creature flying about.