Jon Byrd

My Companion

It is 5:00 AM, and I am listening to a Cardinal and a House Wren. They seem to be vying for who can be the loudest alarm clock. The Cardinal sounds like he is trying the hardest, maybe because it is four times or so larger than the house wren, and is somehow trying to prove himself!

I love the singing of birds, and I could not imagine life with them. The call of a bird has been my companion since I could hear. I love to watch birds as well, but just hearing them lets me know I am not alone, and is a "marker" of where I am, and a reminder of where I have been. No matter what I am doing or where I have traveled, the call of some bird has been a part of my day, my journey.

The "chattering" of the Baltimore Oriole, for instance, is one of the many songs that reminds me of my childhood. I would watch these striking orange and black birds make their hanging nests in one of the Elm trees (before Dutch Elm Disease) that stood outside our home. I always knew they had arrived from their winter home, not because I immediately saw them, but because I would hear them high above in the trees.

The Barn Swallow is another reminder of years past. I remember fondly barn swallows sitting on the phone/electrical wire that ran from one barn to another, chatting away as if they were discussing the day's events. Then, as if on cue, they would all dart off, still jabbering to each other.

Then there is the call of the cardinal, which seems to be everywhere these days. It not only reminds me of snowy winters, but of my mother's place in northern Florida. When my parents first moved to Florida over twenty years ago, I was surprised to find - and hear - so many cardinals. It wasn't until later that I learned that the cardinal's original home was the south, but it has been migrating north due to a warmer climate and, of all things, bird feeders!

I can also count on many woodland companions, such as the Red-eyed vireo, Wood thrush, or Hermit thrush to be around. I always hear one of them when I take a walk, head to the river for some fishing, or when I sit outside at dusk. The songs of these birds, particularly the Hermit Thrush and Wood Thrush, bring me comfort and peace. Or maybe because whenever I hear them, I am at peace!

I am even reminded of places I have visited by a bird's call when I am watching TV! One of my favorite shows is CSI (the original, of course), and when a scene takes place outside in the desert, you sometimes hear the Cactus Wren in the background. I soon came to know this bird well when I visited New Mexico and Arizona, and have vivid memories of mountain biking in Santa Fe with my brother, or taking long walks in the desert outside of Scottsdale.

Yup, no matter where I go, even in the city (the English Sparrow is everywhere), I know I will be joined by some bird's call. Oops, there goes a Blue Heron! That reminds me of...

Baltimore Oriole

Cardinal

House Wren

Barn Swallow

Red-eyed Vireo

Wood Thrush

Hermit Thrush

End of the Year

I was talking with a colleague of mine last week about the end of school, and we commented on hard how this time of year can be. After working with - after being with - our students and advisees almost every day since September, we felt a bit "empty." Our school seemed a lifeless place, even as the teachers hustled about, cleaning their rooms and working on their plans for next year. I shared with my colleague, who was a new teacher, that I always felt a bit "down" at the end of the school year. As a teacher and advisor, you build a wonderful rapport with your students over the course of the year; you understand them and they understand you, and it does not take too long before you all feel comfortable and "at home" with each other. Then, all of a sudden (at least it feels that way), they are gone. It reminds me of the birds you hear singing all summer long. One minute you listening to a cardinal, or warbler, or red-eyed vireo, and then the next minute these beautiful sounds are no more.

However, this feeling of "something missing" wanes as summer takes hold and I dive into other projects and enjoy my other life's pursuits. When I first started teaching, my more experienced colleagues always told me that the summer was a time for renewal, an important time for every teacher, and not because it was "vacation." It did not take me too long to fully understand what they meant, and I came to learn that to be a good teacher, a good advisor, what you bring to the classroom as a person is as important as how or what you teach. Summer can afford those opportunities to step back, take a deep breath, reflect, and renew so you not only grow as a person, but as an educator.

So, here is to the beginning of summer, a most wonderful time of the year in so many ways.