By Joyce Johnson
Recently I was chastised by neighbors for leaving out a number in my Hero series. My thought was: “hairsplit’n readers are the Achilles Heel of columnists…” I guess that’s an exaggeration, but as always I like to present facts to you: Wiki says an Achilles' heel is a weakness in spite of overall strength, which can lead to downfall. When the hero Achilles was an infant, his sea-nymph mother dipped him into the river Styx to make him immortal. But since she held him by one heel, this spot was left out and did not touch the water and so he remained mortal and vulnerable, and it was there in the heel that Achilles was eventually mortally wounded.” …Well, um...that explains everything... Anyway, this below is the hero article I forgot to submit:
But first thing I need to clarify is about when us wise elders walk into another room and forget why we went there when we get there. Example: I just went to the kitchen to pour coffee and found I was staring stupidly into the fridge and wondering why,...like I’d just woke up in another dimension. I tell people when they can’t remember something, to tap the left side of their skull because that’s where the logical/memory side of the brain lives, and ask it to remember what you were talking or thinking about. [No, I can’t remember where I heard that.] Most people ignore that advice or won’t knock on their heads for some reason...or forget to….but it’s good for a laugh. Sometimes your mind actually might reply or chirp: “You went to the kitchen to get coffee you birdbrain!” ….about 7 hours later.
Kinder dimensions – I went into Ron’s little office the other day to tell him I forgot what, and his parakeets zoomed out of their big cage and buzzed me, as usual, and I of course then forgot why I was there. I closed my eyes and felt the air move around me with the soft flap of wings as the keets circled me 2 or 3 times. I respectfully remained still. But another day I noticed peaceful music and Ron and his little keets were calm and what I call “soft eyed,” and seemed to be living in a fun, happy world, and my morning grumpiness dissolved. The keets keep my husband sane I tell people. He loves their company. They are so pretty, perky, chatty, and childlike, but the most important lesson to us is that they live in the NOW. Not yesterday; and tomorrow does not exist for them. Their lives are secure with us—not free in the wild, I regret—but fed well, and never challenged by predators of any species. They hang out in the 10×10 office where Ron works. He plays CDs of forest sounds for them, which they chirp along with. Sometimes it’s real loud when they try to drown out our discussions, or Dan Bongino’s growls and rants coming out of the laptop.
They occasionally fly out of the office and play Hide&Seek; I found a keet high on a bookcase cuddled up next to a soft toy parrot and a little sign that said “believe.” The keet was sure he had fooled me, but he twitched and gave himself away. I said “ah ha!” and he zoomed out and re-hid in another room. I often get my divining rods out and say “find the hiding parakeet, please.”
Divining Rods explained – For many centuries, divining rods were known for finding water. It was reported recently that an oil company used a “diviner” to locate oil and it was, to their surprise, more accurate than their traditional science. Anyway, Many years ago I met a Montanan, an unsung hero who helped rangers and police find missing persons and even a downed plane by using divining rods over maps. I bought some rods from him. He carefully explained how to use them, and to practice because it is a sensitive serious skill and not to be used for parlor games. Divining rods work. My guess is it’s about how ancient sages teach that we are One with all life, even with trees, which is how a lot of indigenous cultures see things. Water divining then is easier to imagine because our bodies are incredibly around 75 % water, or more, so “like attracts like?” But strongly influencing, in addition, is our sincere desire and/or intention applied. And sometimes not: I remember early childhood, the day Uncle Lou said “if any of you kids are diviners, it would be Winifred,”(my 8 yr old sis). So we put rods in her hands, blindfolded her, spun her around, and released her. After she recovered being dizzy, Wini was visibly drawn to a watermelon, and resisting the pull, began to sweat, as the rods quickly pointed downward over the melon. So there! Proof. Just to make your eyes pop further, here is a list of highly celebrated people known to use divining rods: Leonardo Da Vinci; Generals Rommel and Patton; Robert Boyd (father of modern chemistry); and Einstein. Frequent modern use of rods are reportedly used by Naval and Military for ex: divining locations of submarines on ocean maps.
But this column piece is about Winged Heroes! Ron came to mind first because he is a “bird-man,” and we have been talking to parrots and they to us for 30 years. They are cognitive. See link below about Alex the African Gray who proved that Gray parrots have an I.Q, of a 5 year old. And, who does not honor the beloved Eagle and it’s symbolism of power and freedom, or the personification of the winged hero, Superman?
The Primo, winged, unseen heroes —Angels—belonging to all cultures, but not always unseen have shown themselves in countless documented, dramatic rescues and events throughout man’s long sojourn on Earth. It is taught that the Creator made angels (which from Greek means “messengers,”) as representatives of Himself to guide and protect mankind. Animals are teachers and protectors too, in many species, but then they are...Creations,..too. It all makes me feel guarded and watched by something inexplicable and hugely caring as well as loved. I feel safe despite appearances; earthy, yet worthy because of the spiritual source of life. I love our beautiful Earth, everyone’s dogs, and even my plants. East India paths say we are only a notch higher in consciousness than our fellow sentient animal brothers and sisters. That doesn’t take anything away from me, but sure raises our animal family high up in my awareness—and with joy that we have a shared heart that beats together with that of Creation—unsung or celebrated, winged or swimming, two or four-legged, seen and unseen. That about covers it.