This morning is gray and overcast, but is good because...drumroll...Hapi didn't pull a feather last night! He has several new barbs coming in the bald patches that he left alone, and the few that are close to the main bald spot were left alone last night. As I write this morning, he is sitting on his perch munching away at Harrison's kibble. I feel a small bit of hope in this situation, but realize it might be temporary and am prepared for a backslide. But maybe it won't happen. Today's goal is to figure out how to get some red palm oil into his diet as it is something they eat all the time in the wild in Africa. The stuff looks gross - like thin barbecue sauce. I put it on toast but he didn't eat it.
As I sit here worried about my parrot's feathers, all hell broke loose in Dallas last night. Police officers were doing crowd control to protesters who are antagonistic about yet another shooting by an officer. Oil and flame. Then something ignited, and we have even more death. What is a cop supposed to do in this day and age when approaching a suspect who may be armed? In the moment? There have been too many shootings for cops to feel safe at this point. I'm not saying the shooting was justified at all, as I wasn't there. I do believe police have their hearts in the right place, though, and become cops to help people, not kill them. I am sure there are a few bad apples in the profession that need rooting out. Lives are at risk because of them. Both sides need to calm the heck down right now, though, and remember that there is fear on both sides, all the time. Horrible situation for everyone, and the situation feeds into the general feeling of insecurity that I think everyone feels right now. All of our major institutions are "in trouble" and full of dissent. Scary world. Sad world. Sigh. It is hard to skip along and try to feel good every day when the greater world is full of so much pain.
Today, here's a link to the TED talk by artist Phil Hansen who is known for turning a disability into a strength. Worth a watch! Cheers.