birds_and_bread dafremen I was watching the birds in my neighbor's yard this morning. He always throws bread out for them and over the years has managed to gather quite a flock of sparrows and grackles. I noticed that the birds had four different ways they behaved in relation to the bread: First were the majority of the birds. They would sit around a piece of bread eating and sharing without issue. I equate these with most of us, willing to share, willing to be peaceful, social and considerate with one another. Then there were the birds who would mull around pecking at the crumbs in the grass. I equate these with us outcasts and not-so-into-being-a-part-of-normal-society types. They don't steal, they find what scraps they can glean outside of society's main bounty. Then there were the birds that would come in, cut out a BIG 'ol hunk of bread with their beaks then fly off with it. I equate these with the petty thieves and exploiters in our society, who don't want to share, but don't want to struggle for their bread either. Then finally there were the occasional birds who would wait until a WHOLE piece of bread was left alone for a second, then swoop in, pick it up and, flapping frantically, would attempt to fly off with it, struggling the entire way to gain altitude because of the weight of the bread. I equate these with the rich who point to their "struggle" as they take more than their fair share from the rest. They will not point out that the only reason they struggled was to take more than was their due. They don't point out that the reason they struggled so hard was to leave the rest of us with less to share among ourselves. Interesting what happens to these "rich" birds in nature: As he burns up extra calories trying to carry the heavy piece of bread, some birds follow him and every time he sets the bread down, they pounce on it and get some. The "rich" bird will pick it up again and fly off with it, once again burning more calories and struggling harder than the other birds, because they are unencumbered by the weight of the bread, by the weight of selfishness. And so the other birds take their share back from these selfish little birds, exerting just a little effort to do so. You learn so much from nature. 170724 what's it to you? who go blather from