Bird Droppings August 29, 2025

Being reborn so often takes a religious twist. I see it as listening with the heart.

So often in life, we hear words, rationalize those utterances, develop an opinion, and then logically state a response. I returned to a conversation discussing existentialism with my granddaughter one night nearly eleven years ago as she cooed and babbled, trying her best to formulate words. Even as an infant, her emotions, however, were conveyed. As a tiny baby, she would be upset and cry, and you would know her diaper was wet or hungry. As she got a few months older, she became more sophisticated. She would whimper her distaste at being held a certain way, or that she wanted to go for a walk, or for Granddad to stop the infernal conversation on existentialism. Let’s reread The Grumpy Caterpillar.

We hear with our heads. Those vibrations from another person’s vocal cords are transmitted through the air, striking the inner workings of our ears, and we, in our thought processes, put meaning to that sound. When I hear the word dog, I immediately visualize a four-legged, barking life form that pops into my mind. Generally, if only the random word dog, that visual in my head is one of my previous pets. We are relying on past experiences. Far too often, we let the dictionary do our thinking. We respond to the word on a page and how that definition has been explained or taught. We do not hear with the heart. A grandbaby teaches you quickly otherwise. Occasionally, a tear or smile will give away where words are coming from, and good listeners will understand and hear the inner workings of the words, not just the definitions.

“Look at every path closely and deliberately; we should then ask ourselves this crucial question: Does this path have a heart? If it does, then the path is good. If it doesn’t, it is of no use.” Carlos Castaneda

It has been several years since I first read the meanderings of Carlos Castaneda and his journey as an apprentice medicine man in the mountains of Mexico. Many writers and scientists consider his books to be fiction. They are a very intricate fabrication as he developed his doctoral dissertation. I find myself fascinated with his stories of a Yaqui holy man who took him in and taught him the old ways. While the possibility of fiction is there for me, the statement above depicts the storyline. Far too often, we modern-day people choose a path of logic, one of definition, one of clear, concise, rational thought. We forget the aspect of the heart. When looking up online, we hear words provided in Webster’s Dictionary, or even more sadly, Google. When reviewed and analyzed, they have a specific meaning, and soon, we leave behind any emotion in what is being said. People speak not in clear and concise words but in emotions and feelings; we speak from the heart. We lose the emotion in our instantaneous, high-speed, immediate, and tell me now, society. 

Almost four years ago, on a whim, I applied for a Special Education position at Kennedy Elementary in Barrow County. When I got home from the interview, I had a call saying they were interested. As the school year drew closer, teacher retirement paperwork kept me from officially attending school, and I missed preplanning. The next thing I know, I am teaching part-time at Kennedy. While I did not meet everyone, I considered all my fellow teacher friends. I knew at the beginning my position was temporary, as things turned out, only for one year. I was not sure where I would be the following year. I interviewed and thought I was hired at Atha Road Elementary in Walton County, four minutes from my house. I get asked when I interview why I wanted to teach elementary school after so many years in high school. Little kids are more eager to learn than high school kids.

Interestingly enough, as I pulled out of Kennedy, Atha Road called, and the job was canceled. I had also interviewed at Britt Elementary in Snellville, in Gwinnett County, and turned down the job because I got the job so close to home. Now, I had a dilemma and called Britt to see if the position was still open. Sadly, it was filled, but would I be interested in teaching reading part-time? Synchronicity has a way with me. So, I sit waiting to see where I may be this year. This morning, I went looking for a sunrise as I always do when not in school. There was not much of a sunrise, but a momma duck and several ducklings were on the lake right beside a blue heron.

Many years ago, a great storyteller spoke of becoming like children, and his followers’ immediate response was that we could not be reborn physically. This story’s author spoke of listening with the heart, as do children. They haven’t learned all the words and still do not know the definitions, so the heart is all they have, and you know what they generally get right. As I watched my granddaughter so many years ago grip her upper lip in her two new bottom teeth, making faces at us while sitting in her grandmother’s lap, she knew the response she would get, and a whimper here and there, and people were jumping, getting toys, and a clean diaper. There were no words spoken; it was simply communication directly from the heart. Please keep all in harm’s way on your mind and most of all in your heart, namaste.

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

 Mitakuye Oyasin

 (We are all related)

 docbird