What? A bird?

Many people have asked me how I "got sick", even my doctors have posed this question. When I first landed in the hospital in Sidney, after numerous tests, showing in a week's time that my lungs were no longer clear, but hazy, I was asked if I was a drinker. "No," I replied. I thought what does this have to do with my lungs.

On to the next question-was I a smoker? Had I ever smoked? Once again, my answer was no. Hmm....the doctors were perplexed. "Do you have a bird in your house or have you ever had birds in your house?," added another doctor. No was my answer. I was beginning to feel like I was on a game show. Does she have the right answer yet? NO. I was ready to be booted off the show-mystery unsolved.

Why I asked would you want to know about a bird in my house. Unbeknowst to me, birds carry diseases that can be transmitted to us causing respiratory problems. Well, I thought, I love seeing birds outdoors, but not in my house. My Aunt Bea and Uncle Don have always had birds, that are fascinating because they talk to them. Their birds mimic their voices exactly so that you can't tell whether it is my aunt or uncle or the bird talking. It is a riot to hear them all talk. So, who is voice 1, voice 2 and voice 3 -another game show, perhaps. Prize-visit wild birds in their natural habitat in the tropics-but look out, you could become a "survivor"-the quest to be the last one standing.

So, on reflections of my drinking, smoking and housing birds, I came to the conclusion that the doctor probably thought I was a lush, smoking fiend and had a "bird" in my belfry. Now, wouldn't that make a good reality show in this day and age, n'est-ce pas?

May you skip all the bad vices in life and focus on the positive vices-walks outdoors on footpaths that meander through nature's natural beauty, viewing birds from afar, examining flowers up close and smelling their perfume, seeing a child walk, read for the first time. Oh, but there are so many more. Choose a few of your favorites and take the time to enjoy them. They will remind you what life is all about, least we forget sometimes.