Walking in the Rain

This is Ireland after all, and the sunshine couldn’t last forever (nor would I want it to). Already knowing I don’t melt, I went for a walk in the half-hearted drizzle. As I have a very sedentary job as well as sedentary hobbies (writing, crocheting, knitting, reading, etc.) I find the need to get out and walk to clear the cobwebs out of my head and stretch my limbs.

It was a bank holiday so few people were out and about at mid-morning (yes, this post is several days after the bank holiday – I’m a busy person). As I walked along the river near the Cathedral, I noticed many of the mallards and a few of the hens were standing or sitting along the bank, heads turned and tucked into their backs for a nap. There was one seagull among the bunch and for whatever reason it was the most skittish. Walking within inches of them, few of the ducks gave me the time of day, but every time I moved close to the seagull, it took off, farther down the walk.

This caused me to perceive the similarity between the birds and people in general. Some notice as you walk by and though they may not all run away, as with the seagull, they acknowledge your presence in the world. Whereas others like the mallards are wrapped up in their own lives and are unmindful of your passing. It makes you wonder; do they see, feel, hear you and just don’t care; or are they totally oblivious to the fact that you passed them by? If you’ve read Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth series, it reminds me of the Chainfire spell – people see you but they instantly forget you were there – almost like you are invisible…