Looking for a Rufous

The red-tailed hawk soared overhead, a mere 20 feet, so close the runner could nearly count the individual feathers at the end of his wings. It was a wonderful sight to see as he ran down the country road. Oblivious to any cars that might have been on the road at that early hour on a Sunday morning, he stared up at the raptor for what seemed like a long time, hardly missing a step. The sight of the hawk deepened the enjoyment of the run immensely, although he was less than an hour into it, with well over an hour left before he completed the circuit. Long distance running can be lonesome and tedious, but only if you forget to appreciate the experience.

So what’s the point of it all — this striving for physical attainment, running marathons? Is it a good thing to want to achieve, to be the best and to win? Is it OK not to win, if you do your best and just finish? What if you don’t finish? If you knew that you would be no better than second in every race or event or whatever (competing for a job, running for a political office), would you still give it your best effort all the time?

Even champions, who know they are the best, must have doubts going into their competition, but for champions losing is not an option. I think the average person usually does not go into an endeavor with a no-lose attitude, although they may hope for a victory.

What is this blog about and why should anyone read it? It’s about struggles and victories, usually more of the former than the latter. But you know, in the end it doesn’t matter — as that old saying goes, “it’s not whether you win or lose, it is how you play the game”. Let me tell you about my experiences in playing the game.

Just a passing comment on the “Rufous” thing. You may have seen the picture of the bird that I posted. I love birds; they are very interesting and efficient creatures. They live out the year wearing the same clothes, fluffing their feathers in the winter to hold in the warmth, etc., etc. They don’t need to hit the malls to upgrade their wardrobes. If they lose feathers, they just grow them back. I like the Rufous-sided Towhee a lot. It resembles a Robin, but is smaller and more animated. It has those wonderful bright red eyes and the white specks on its plumage. I always think of it as the Julia Roberts or Brad Pitt of the bird species, similar but much more noticeable than a Robin. However, they are a bit reclusive and prefer to hang out in the underbrush. When I spot a Rufous, I think of it as a good sign, that it’s going to be a very good day. I guess if there is a message here, it would be that you sometimes have to look for the good things in life.