Fully engaged in breakfast, the gaggle barely moves with my arrival. The lake is quiet, all are intent on eating. One lone long neck stands above the rest, ever vigilant; when this head bends down for some food, another pops up to take its place. Order and cooperation rule on the lake shore this morning. A loaf of French bread, tossed in their midst, changes everything. No longer content to search on their own for what they need; the geese now race to this gift from their human benefactor, honking and pecking to grab what they can. The air is filled with their fighting; all memories of this peaceful morning are gone. One after the other, they grab the loaf, which is many times larger than their beaks can hold, and run away. It is no longer about getting enough to eat; it is about ownership and having the most. Peace does not ensue again until the entire loaf is gone and there is nothing to do but search quietly in the grass for sustenance. The lame goose is the largest. I suspect because he spends a great deal of energy hobbling to catch up, and is always building muscle. He doesn’t stop to eat until he’s surrounded by the others. His limp did not allow him to enter the battle for the bread. He stood within the storm, quietly eating while the noise and anxiety swelled around him. His focus never changed. This story is ours. The bread thrower is the cabal; the geese, humanity. Ownership, scarcity and the compulsion to win are not natural. They are manufactured reactions to intentional outside manipulation. When I arrived this morning, these birds needed nothing. Their perceived dependence on the bread and the bread thrower was created. It ended as soon as the bread was gone. Our bread is just about gone. We’ve forgotten how to keep ourselves going, but this doesn’t mean we won’t survive. We need to remember how to cooperate and keep our focus. There is plenty for everyone. Panic and anxiety don’t serve our intent; they are time wasters and serve only to weaken us. It’s quiet here now. The sun is a bit higher in the sky. The lame one has been surrounded with the other geese for quite some time. Their focus has returned. Once we remember that all we need is here, we’ll let go of our own fear of loss and dependence on the “bread throwers”. We are here to create. All that we need is focus, intent and determination. At first glance, the lame goose was disadvantaged yet he is the biggest and strongest and seems to lead with his quiet resolve. This is who we are. We are brilliant, strong and determined; here to create abundance and amazing – not for a few of us, but for all of us. We are the One we’ve been waiting for. |
