Bird Droppings August 14, 2025
Sometimes, simply setting the example is the best teacher.

It has been an interesting week. I did my usual, chasing sunrises and looking for deer and other creatures. I spent a good bit of the mornings taking advantage of the wet, dreary weather and poor light and getting some rather interesting photographs. Yesterday afternoon, after almost five days of rain, I went to start doing yard work, and it rained again, of course. On a different thought, it has been intriguing to me how so many people view education as failing. I wonder as I sit here this morning how many of those folks saying such things could pass a high school biology class today. I was joking yesterday as I helped a friend review a lesson plan, how my 1968 college biology was nothing compared to our current text in high school. He mentioned something sarcastically about how cells were not discovered yet, in 1968, alluding to my age.

But it is folks my age who are complaining, and it is not education that is to blame. We live in a culture and society of having it now. There is little thinking ahead, thinking of the future, we are so energized to have stuff now, and if you cannot Google it doesn’t exist. I am bad about collecting books, and the fifty or so boxes that I put in storage from my previous room will attest to that. In my collection is a 1931 copy of William Tompkins’ Universal Sign Language, which was my father’s. It is fragile and I keep it at home. I thought it would make an interesting lead into a literature class, and I found a copy of the book in a Barnes and Noble, and honestly, I have never seen this book previously.

It has been a few days since my son and I went to a reptile show here locally, and there are always some strange characters about. I had the opportunity to listen to world-renowned reptile and wildlife photographer, Bill Love, talk about taking pictures of reptiles. His comment that stuck was “doing is the best teacher”.

“You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals. To that end, each of us must work for our improvement and, at the same time, share a general responsibility for all humanity, our particular duty being to aid those to whom we think we can be most useful.” Madame Marie Curie

Somewhere along the line, the concept of “do a good deed daily” came along, and it always amazes me where and why I choose a particular direction to go in my daily writings. It could be a comment in an email about only living a good life, or a comment from a snake photographer both of which kind of sort of gave me a focus today.

“Keep doing good deeds long enough and you’ll probably turn out a good man despite yourself.” Louis Auchincloss

As I read this morning and look through ideas, a simple matter comes to mind, and that is that our living as an example is a model to go by for others. We are all predominantly visual learners, and seeing is believing has been said many times over.

“One’s life has value so long as one attributes value to the life of others, using love, friendship, indignation, and compassion.” Simon De Beauvoir

History is often the teacher, and we can see how and why a particular person develops and in what ways that individual’s life has affected humanity. For example, was there substance to their existence, or did they merely take up space, occupy air and land?

“The high destiny of the individual is to serve rather than to rule…” Albert Einstein

When you look back and realize historically what piece of history this great mind came from, and in his development, where his philosophy of life evolved, it is most interesting. Einstein came from a Jewish background; he grew up in a part of the world where his people were being eliminated from humanity by a single person’s ideology. He came from a country where warfare and weaponry abounded, and as he grew older, he even asked forgiveness for the small piece he helped to create, ushering in the atomic age. He became one of the world’s leading anti-war figures and pacifists and was more concerned about service than ruling.

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” Mahatma Gandhi

Looking again at history, Mother Theresa, a tiny waif of a woman, lost herself in service to the poor of Calcutta, India, yet as I write is being recommended for Sainthood in the Catholic Church. Gandhi could have been a wealthy man yet chose otherwise and served his people of India. St. Francis of Assisi was born into a wealthy merchant family and left it to serve others. As I look at these people finding themselves, is that what they were doing, or is it just that service to them was the right thing to do? Far too often, we consider success to be the accumulation of wealth.

“The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.” Nelson Henderson

I have several friends who farm trees, and planning is often many years away, even with nursery stock. Some rock and roll fans may know the name of a leading keyboardist, Chuck Levell. He has played with many bands, Eric Clapton, the Rolling Stones, and James Taylor, to name a few, but I first saw his name years ago as the keyboard player for The Allman Brothers Band in Macon, Georgia, nearly 50 years ago. Chuck Levell grows trees in Middle Georgia in his spare time. While I have taken a literal twist with a symbolic quote, there is a point when you plant a seed for a tree, you plant it knowing the potential and knowing chances are you will never benefit from that potential; it is an act of service to others.

“The difference between a helping hand and an outstretched palm is a twist of the wrist.” Laurence Leamer

Sometimes there is a fine line between symbiotic and parasitic, a twist of the wrist, but who is to say who doesn’t receive help? Several years ago, when I was daily involved in feeding families, it was much easier to make a mistake and feed a family who may have food than to turn anyone away.

“Give what you have to somebody; it may be better than you think.” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I received an email from a good friend yesterday that is so often how we respond in life. The fact that it is a church is important to the story, but it could be a school, a classroom, or a PTO meeting. Many will say it is just human nature.

“One day, a man went to visit a church. He got there early, parked his car, and got out. Another car pulled up near and the driver got out and said, “I always park there! You took my place!” The visitor went inside for Sunday school, found an empty seat, and sat down. A young lady from the church approached him and stated That’s my seat! You took my place!” The visitor was somewhat distressed by this rude welcome, but said nothing. After Sunday school, the visitor went into the sanctuary and sat down. Another member walked up to him and said That’s where I always sit! You took my place!” An email from a friend, but many authors have used this or a similar one as an original

Over the years, I have seen many an article of a pastor or civic leader who dresses in rags to see how people think and react. Even local radio hosts, the regular guys, have sent Southside Steve one of their regulars out to get responses, and you know what we always do so well. Seldom are the stories of a person offering to help park the car or offering a seat, or offering a slice of bread, sadly ever so seldom.

“If you want to lift yourself, lift someone else.” Booker T. Washington

“I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: the only ones among you who will be happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve.” Albert Schweitzer

So often, I find a quote or thought from this man who found his place in the darkest portion of Africa in the 1930s to be a physician, giving up a lucrative career in Europe as a musician or doctor. As I end today, so many of the people gave up all, and that is not the issue; it is simply the giving aspect because it is the example we set that is seen, not what we say, not what we bear witness to, but what we as a person do each day. It is about each moment to set an example, and in that way, people will learn. Keep all in harm’s way on your mind and your hearts, and always give thanks, namaste.

My family and friends, I do not say this lightly,

Mitakuye Oyasin

(We are all related)

docbird