Bird Droppings May 17, 2010
Dropping an eagle feather

So often I find that in events and happenings of my life there is a tie to and or connection to not only the past and present but often to the future. It was only a few days ago I received a call from a friend of nearly forty years. We have touched base on occasion, the death of my brother over fifteen years ago and the death of my father three years ago. But even on my many trips to Oklahoma somehow I was always to busy to stop in or find my friend. It has been an interesting journey.
In 1973 I shared a house with two other fellows. One of them was a student from Mercer who was Afro- American, the other a Native American and me a white Anglo Saxon student at Mercer. Other than living together we also worked downstairs in the Macon day care center. It was an interesting time considering we had the kids of The Allman Brothers band and each morning the limos would pull up with these young hippie moms and well it was just interesting at the time.
My black friend went on to pharmacy school and I lost track a few years later. My Native American friend was of the Creek nation and his grandfather had been the medicine man to the nation in Oklahoma. My friend had been raised in his grandfather’s household never speaking English till he started school. I recall one night watching him sitting beading which was his hobby and his stress release. He was beading a feather and sure enough it turned out to be an eagle feather. He handled it with utmost care carefully stitching deer skin around the base so he could add the beadwork. This feather was to be a present for his mother. Only Native Americans are allowed to own or possess eagle feathers by federal law. Many years later he gave my father a similar one which became one of my father’s proudest possessions.
I have enjoyed the country feel of our house and being able to dream again. For nearly two years previous to moving in any dreams were short, broken up by motorcycles and trucks plying our road all hours of the night and sleeping all night was near impossible as our dogs would wake every time someone was walking down the street. So for nearly two years we slept in one or two hour increments and maybe three if we were lucky. Since our move I have actually enjoyed sleeping for six or eight hours – I did not think that was possible for quite some time. So last night as I slept I dreamed.
In my dream I was traveling in Pennsylvania heading towards Hopewell Lake. Years ago I did a paper for a history class on Hopewell Village, a colonial times iron foundry where cannons and such were made in the revolutionary war. It is now a tourist spot and state park. I am not sure why I was heading there but along the way I stopped at an old house that appeared deserted and as I stepped out over my head two eagles were circling and they landed over me in the trees. I stared in amazement. I have seen eagles in the wild but never quite this close. After several minutes they flew off but the larger of the two flipped a wing and a feather dropped towards me. I picked it up and headed on. Dreams according to Jung are meaningful and as I thought about this I wondered of its significance and the fact I have for so long a period I had not dreamed.

“Dreams pass into the reality of action. From the actions stems the dream again; and this interdependence produces the highest form of living.” Anis Nin

Perhaps there is significance to dreams as many scholars and wise men and women say. Dreams have to have basis in our realities as did mine with Hopewell Village.
“Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.” Carl G. Jung

Maybe it is our so often rush to go another or differing direction that keeps us from remembering or understanding our dreams. Back in the day in most Native American tribes for boys and girls that first vision was one of significance, one of becoming a man or woman. In many tribes it was in that dream many received their names from that vision and or happening in the dream. Our western society so ungraciously casts dreams aside with the exception of a few consider by many professionals as pseudo-scientists including Jung by Freudian thinkers. I once tried to tell a practitioner of dream analysis of my dreams sadly she had to look in her book. In twenty years she had never had anyone have a cricket crawl from the eye hole of a dried lizard skin.

“Nothing happens unless first a dream.” Carl Sandburg

So often in today’s fast paced world and lives we tend to forget, to stop and dream although I use the word ponder I sort of like that word. It is in accomplishing we need to dream first to see ahead and give ourselves understanding of where we are going.

“Some men see things as they are and say, “Why?” I dream of things that never were and say, “Why not?” frequently attributed to Robert F. Kennedy, who used it in a speech which his brother, Edward F. Kennedy quoted at RFK’s funeral. Actually by George Bernard Shaw

I wonder if Bobby Kennedy cited Shaw when he used this quote. I remember the speech and it was a powerful one at that. But can we dream of things that never were? Can we see beyond today and see what could be? If only we could what a world this would be. I wish it were we could know and then perhaps lives could be saved and democracy could be a reality and war would be over. But alas today it is only a dream and so please keep all in harms way on your mind and in your hearts.
namaste
bird