The Song Sparrow and Disco Ball
Finding harmony with my surroundings
When I moved into my new apartment, I fell into the trap of wanting my space to be decorated with the wiggle of a nose. Alas, I was not Barbara Eden and the I Dream of Jeannie magic did not work. So, I unpacked my boxes, one by one, while dreaming of my new apartment decor.
As I unpacked, a song sparrow peered through my transom window. His unwavering stare and continuous chirps reminded me of the paper delivery kid in Better Off Dead. “Two dollars.” I knew he would be back to collect his newspaper money, in the form of bird seed. The following day, the sparrow surveilled me from the transom window. And again the day after that. It was clear I was the interloper and the sparrow had been a longtime resident. Adopting a sparrow was not on my to-do list but the little birdie reminded me to pay attention to my surroundings, so I added a birdhouse and bird feeder to my apartment list.
I also had grand plans of installing a disco ball on the ceiling. I was committed to this idea until I took note of the sun’s path through my main living space. It landed on the living room floor, then danced on the kitchen cabinets. It slowly moved to its final stop on the living room wall before transforming into diffused afternoon light. It became clear the disco ball would never cross paths with the…
