TheBanyanTree: Call of the Pionus

[Barb Edlen]

I love this phrase you've coined, Dave. It's perfect! 

I enjoyed reading your story. Your writing is always more than merely reading though....it's like following along peering over your shoulder. 

I hope there will be more opportunities to do so. 

✿*ﾟ‘ﾟ･.｡.:*

> On Nov 28, 2015, at 10:37 PM, David <dseaman77 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> I like to say I Steve Irwined some things. I have a lot of animals living in my house and when I successfully navigate an animal crisis I like to use the name of the late Australian adventurer as a verb. Like I just Steve Irwined the hell out of that dog.
> 
> The latest was my beautiful Blue Headed Pionus. Poor baby flew from her perch and escaped into an open cold air return duct. I was in a panic. I knew the bird was in there because my big dog Mos was trying to rescue him. A Pionus is just smaller than a football. A perfect fit, and I couldn’t find him. I reached, called out, and shined a flashlight; there was no answer. If he kept waddling through the dark vent system he would eventually find his way to the furnace. At some point it would require a fall to get there.
> 
> In the basement I opened the furnace covers, which killed the blower motor. The opening to the furnace was like a dark cavern. It was hard to believe my sweet little bird would find his way to the end. In fact he wasn’t there at the time. So I started again from the point of entry. Shouting his name, Llew. I followed the vent to the basement, tapping on it and shouting his name. At the furnace again I shined the flashlight and called his name. Out he waddled covered in dust!
> 
> So I always think of myself as Steve Irwin when I do something like that. Because that was how he was. Heroic and daring. You know he was exactly my age. I was always so jealous of Steve Irwin cause he had such an adventurous life. I wish I had that life. There were times I wished I was him. Then he died and I got really depressed about it. Really depressed. And I never snapped out of it.
> 
> That’s how I can always say that I know when my battle with mental illness started because I know it started when Steve Irwin died. So it’s been nine years. I’m in remission, but still on medication. Disabled and can’t work. Obviously I haven’t been depressed for nine years because a television adventurer died. I guess. It was just the trigger. The straw on the camel’s back. Except that he’s dead, I’m still alive, and I don’t know what that means.
> 
> 
> Dave
>