A friend sent me a link to a bar out in Chandler, Arizona called the Perch Pub and Brewery. What a fabulous place! Craft beer in a garden setting that is also the home to 40 rescued wild birds. The website doesn't have many pictures of the residents, but there is a gorgeous macaw in one photo that is very enticing. I can't think of a happier place to imbibe. Bucket list should I ever head out that way. I think of all the wonderful ways birds could enhance a post-teaching business of some sort in my own life. I'd love to have a studio where people come to create art and enjoy themselves, like Create, and have cages where one or two of my kids could visit when I am there. While the Perch Pub has rescue birds and mine are from breeders (a big no-no in many parrot loving circles), I do consider my birds rescue birds. They rescued me.
Dealing with a chronic health issue like RA is tiring, unpredictable, and requires consistent optimism in the face of the unknown. I've found over the last 13 years that even when the medication is working as well as to be expected, the pain and exhaustion is a daily occurrence and it is easy to feel like giving up. To stop trying to live a meaningful life. To give up on the passions in life that matter to me, such as my artwork and learning, my teaching, my friends, even my home. To give in to the pain and just chill out and do nothing. From what I read online, many people do, and the disease progresses with a faster and more debilitating path. My rheumatologist understands this and said she sees it all the time. Our goal is to keep me working and as functional as possible with the available meds so that I can keep truly living, although maybe not at my pre-RA 150mph pace. Physical activity and happiness actually help the disease have less impact, this is where the feathers come in. They need their needs met in the morning and evening, and fill the house with happiness and joy every day.
The parrots that own me have taught me more than I ever thought possible. About love, about trust, about patience, and about fun. They bring laughter every day, and while their needs are sometimes great in terms of proper feeding and cleaning, their company is well worth it. Before I was struck with Parrot Fever I had no idea of the richness of a parrot-human bond. It goes way deeper than that of a cat or a dog. A parrot does not love unconditionally. Trust is built over time, rules are mutually established, not necessarily dictated by the human, and their are obligations on both human and avian sides. While most dogs and cats are happy coexisting with the rules people set for them (except for Toby, of course...) a parrot considers things, comes up with their own ideas on how they'd like to be treated. They rearrange the furniture in their cages, they make requests, and they always seek connection with their human flock. They can be unpredictable. They can be naughty. Or moody. They can be sensitive to the needs of others, and let their own needs be known, too. I can honestly say I had no idea what I was getting into with my flock, but can also say they changed my life for the better and make my home and life so much happier than before. They've even helped me with my teaching, as parrot training principles work on seventh graders, too!
So, today as I take the morning to chop, grind, and dice a plethora of colorful veggies and fruits into the parrot food mix we call "chop," I do the hard work with love, care, and respect for my birds, who each have added so much to my life. Love you, my beautiful, lovable, and wild fids! Even if I am typing this on a keyboard missing six keys because a certain African Grey stole them yesterday when I wasn't looking.
(P.S. "Fids" means feathered kids in bird circles!)