Bet you think this post is about duct tape, but stick with me.
The spark for my household resourcefulness was first lit in 10th grade when I hemmed a required A-Line skirt in Home Economics with a stapler. Quick, easy, done; the “d” in “done” standing for the “D” letter grade my skirt was awarded. Part of the requirement was actually wearing the skirt to school. Tip: do not wear panty hose with a stapler-hemmed skirt.
Decades later, I was and still am absurdly resourceful when it comes to fixing or jerry-rigging something in my home. All it takes is two words: elbow grease, er, I mean duct tape. Tear in a sofa cushion? Duct tape. Rip in the arm of the leather chair? Duct tape. Loose kitchen drawer? Duct tape. Hole in the bottom of a garden shoe? That’s right, duct tape. As the saying goes, if you can’t fix it with duct tape, you aren’t using enough duct tape.
But, like I said, this post is not about duct tape, but a phenomenon much more “fasten-aiding” (good Lord, you just can’t help yourself, can you?).
Earlier this year, my cooperative completed a home improvement program which on exteriors included new siding, new windows and new doors. I was so inspired by the improvements that I hired a contractor to rebuild and paint my front porch and garbage bin, add a new front closet door, put in new garden edging and paint and add new lettering to a rather forlorn front yard post. To spruce up the post, I decided to add a small bird house to the top.
Because the birdhouse was small and had no perch, I considered its function to be more decorative rather than utilitarian. Without a perch to land on, no bird would be able to swoop into the birdhouse hole with materials to build a nest.
But a sparrow proved that fixing a home to be more functional has a stick-to-itiveness all its own. This past weekend, I noticed the bird sitting on what looked like a perch outside the small house and then hopping inside. Looking closer, I saw that the sparrow had somehow created its own perch using its own natural resources.
I can’t stop looking at this tiny stick perch. How did sparrow create this? Did it require teamwork? What kind of patience and fortitude did it take? What’s the lesson here?
The poet Gary Soto wrote, “Nothing should be wasted in a world where sparrows work hard to prove there is enough.” Look at that perch. The ingenuity. The persistence. The modesty. Nothing wasted. There is always enough.
I will state this for all who read this post: moan. But that appears to be your obvious intent, so congrats.
The bird perch is ingenious and took great skill to position it properly. Although I am not surprised because if you have ever watched a bird gather assorted items to build a nest, you realize they are extremely resourceful.
Thanks for reading this post and not moaning the entire way through, I hope.
I’ve been trying to find my true writer’s voice, and I think it combines David Sedaris-type humor with thoughtful reflection. In the process, I sometimes slip back into my “pun”-ishing voice. I’ll keep trying to find a balance.
Nature is inspiring. I bet the bird didn’t have to Google this idea.
What is there not to love here? The humor, the post, the birdhouse and sparrow … I love it all! Well done. Thanks.
First of all, that bird house is adorable. And the stick makes it doubly so — that clever and industrious bird! (Or birds — do they usually work in pairs?) It didn’t want to let a perfectly good house go to waste because of one design flaw. If I were you, I’d be camped out in my yard watching to see the bird land on the perch it created. Let us know if you ever see it.
OK so I knew ravens were clever and resourceful. Now I have respect for the common sparrow. Actually it is humbling and by the way, I also admire your courage in using staples on a hem. I love both you and the sparrow.
Delightful and amazing!
I have been eyeballing the leather case protecting my iPad for awhile now. I have toted that thing around for years, everywhere, through all of those things. It was coveted by many in it’s day, but journey has taken it’s insistent toll——first, the cosmetic dings and scrapes that I thought added character, then the sad structural decay. A deepening crease in the spine began to give the cover sway—-now, almost total detachment. The superficial, unknowing glance might find it shabby but it shares with me a common history that would make it irreverent to replace with the unblemished. So, I’ve been thinking that it’s time for the duct tape to mend my old friend. It’s not like either of us gives much of a damn what things look like anyway.
Thanks for your comment, Carolyn. Two things:
One, there’s a poem somewhere in your comment. Your description makes the iPad cover almost seem like a sacred object. (I’m not being sarcastic.)
Two, run the duct tape a bit over the sides of the iPad cover, then fold it over and add a staple or two. Staples are pretty good at keeping things together, too, though you may have to wear gloves when you tote that leather case. (I’m being sarcastic.)
Your reading voice would make it a poem as is, my friend.
Thank you. Interestingly, my “reading voice” came up in a conversation I had with Adrienne just yesterday. We were trying to figure out how to assist a close friend who was operated on last week for Stage 4 oral cancer. A portion of her jaw had to be removed and replaced with some part of her fibula, and she won’t really be able to talk or swallow for a few weeks. Adrienne suggested I record reading some of my favorite poems and sending the recording to her. She said that I was a very good reader. Your generous and timely comment adds fuel to the recording. Thanks for that, too.