Intro: Pounding bass note and a stirring fanfare of horns. Welcome to another edition of Things to Think about. Here's Stacy. The horns continue with a keyboard note held.
Relaxing piano music is in the background.
Welcome to the Things to Think About podcast, where we use fables and fairy tales to uncover deeper truths about our subconscious world. There is a situation that perplexes me. It doesn’t seem to have any solutions. Please be aware that this story does not have a happy ending. What would you do if you were stuck in , “Civilization”. And now, get comfortable and relax. Take a deep breath in. And exhale. A deep breath in and exhale. A deep breath in and exhale. And if you'd like, you can slowly close your eyes.
Once upon a time, a troupe of Lilac-Breasted Rollers roamed free performing death-defying aerial stunts. Their beauty captivated everyone who witnessed their antics. As is the case with beautiful creatures, envy and hatred were also lurking plotting against these gorgeous birds. Though the Bateleur eagles also had magnificent coloring, they simmered with malcontent at the effortless joy the Rollers exhibited in flight. The Bateleurs sat sunning themselves, silently observing the Rollers as they cavorted in the sky. Their jealously reached a boiling point that matched their angry red faces and they began to hunt the Lilac-Breasted Rollers mercilessly. The eagles hunted them for hours giving the smaller birds no rest nor quarter. “We must flee these evil birds!” they decided and began the treacherous journey for safety.
Soaring through the clouds for cover, they encountered some Purple Rollers. “Where are you rushing to, friends?” the vibrant birds queried. “We are fleeing from the Bateleurs who hate us and want to kill us,” they responded. “Oh, is that so?” the Purple Rollers questioned. “Join us then. We are going to Civilization. It is a country where we can be free and beautiful and safe. There they value our vibrant colors and we do not have to hide our fabulous plumage” they twittered on. “Is that so?” marveled the Lilac-Breasted Rollers. “We will join you,” and the colorful flock flew together to Civilization. There were so many diverse birds each forming communities amongst the trees. None of the other birds were as beautiful as the various Rollers and once again envy festered.
At first, the Rollers decided to band together at the outskirts of Civilization. The camp was run by spiders and jackals and had a dizzying web of bureaucracy and regulations. Each flock received its ration of bird seed and there were insects and other prey to hunt in the trees. Soon enough falcons and other eagles started to harass the Rollers. They called them unkind names and told them to take off their fine feathers. “We cannot change who we are,” the Rollers responded and tried their hardest to be good members of Civilization. The other birds became more aggressive, pecking at them and taking tremendously liberties. The Rollers pleaded their case with the jackals and the spiders, but their cries were ignored, and the other birds pretended not to notice their plight. Soon even the little bit of bird seed ground to a halt. The Rollers were brave and bold and performed their most dangerous tricks to entice the humans that visited Civilization to give them some food. The falcons and eagles toyed with them, damaging their wings to the point that they could no longer fly away.
The once vibrant Rollers weakened by hunger and abuse hid amongst the leaves in their trees. They sang heart-breaking tunes hoping their plight would reach the ears of the other animals. Every now and then a parcel would land in their tree, but it was never enough and sometimes the weaker Rollers were excluded. They arranged themselves in colorful arrangements pleading to the humans to help them. Most of the times the humans threw them some bird seed and went on to view the more exciting creatures of Civilization who were better fed because they were part of the Safari showcase. The Rollers were too weak to cry out. They cursed the day they were born and the callous cruelty of the other animals. What was once a promise of freedom and the ability to be themselves had become a cruel prison. The spiders told them they were not prisoners and were free to leave Civilization at any time. They just needed to show they could fly and pay for their keys. One Roller had enough and decided if they could not fly, they would walk out of Civilization. The other birds thought the sun, and the hunger, and the hopelessness had broken this lone Lilac-Breasted Roller. “This is not living, and least I am determining my own destiny.” It left Civilization while the eagles and falcons remain undeterred.
If you can’t escape, what are your options?
And now, you can take a deep breath and exhale. Deep breath in and exhale. Deep breath in and exhale. Deep breath in and exhale. And when you’re ready, wiggle your toes and fingers, and slowly, open your eyes. If you are enjoying this podcast, please subscribe and tell a friend.
Closing: Closing jazzy keyboard and thrumming bass. I hope you enjoyed today's segment. Tell a friend. See you next time. Music fades. "
