“the experience of hearing Judy Garland sing ‘Over the Rainbow.’ When the song and the credits end, I am left with the feeling that ought to be a paradise, and I am reminded of C.S. Lewis’s famous quote: ‘If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.’ We do not need to only participate in dark or troubling stories, but we do need to give priority to stories that haunt us, unsettle us, and expand us, whether through beauty and delight or tragedy. We also need to make time and space to interpret the stories through dialogue with others. Living in an atomistic culture, our default response to receiving a story is not to interpret it in community. We may have a personal opinion about it. We may tweet a 280 character review. We may debate parts of the story. But most of us are not inclined to take the time to slowly work through the meanings of the story and dialogue with one another. In other words, the prolonged, thoughtful, charitable dialogue about stories I’m recommending will not happen naturally. We need to intentionally pursue it.”
Alan Noble Disruptive Witness
In Africa, we learned the words to some dove calls. E.g., “I am… a red-eyed-dove. I am… a red-eyed-dove…” Too bad they didn’t have a bigger vocabulary.
Jim T
Jim T – I expect there’s some demonic mnemonic for the mourning dove, too. But yes, it’s a fiendishly limited repertoire.
The ‘gets-on-your-nerves bloody endless cooing’ of “I am a grey dove sitting on the wire” seems to be everywhere in the part of Arizona that I frequent as well. Except when the hawks come by. Then it’s eerily quiet.
… sorry: I mixed my quotation marks. Won’t happen again.
Marion – I should hope not. 🙂
Marion – I wonder if any birds have learned to throw their voices, thereby throwing hawks and such off the path to lunch.
Isabel – there are mourning doves all over the place in Egypt as well. Now every time I hear that endless cooing it reminds me of waking up in Ismailia to the sound of that damned cooing.
After the morning doves, the donkeys started braying – so it was impossible to sleep in past sun rise – even if you wanted to.
John – Well, something to be grateful for: no donkeys in suburban Arizona.
Are there any evening doves?
Ian – Not that I know of. There are, however, laughing gulls, which at least act as an emotional counterweight. Sometimes their call/voice just sounds raucous; sometimes it’s infectious.
If you believe this person, some birds can throw their voices. (Warning white text on black background very hard on the eyes)
http://www.birdingisfun.com/2011/01/bird-ventriloquism.html
PS: Nice catch light in the dove’s eye
Jim R – Thanks! If I understand her, she’s saying it can be hard for humans to locate the origin of the sound – maybe not so much for other birds. And you’re right – that text combination is hard on the eyes.