On our daily walk together we suddenly came upon a tragic sub-story largely unnoticed by the wider world. Lying prostrate by the side of the road road within a meter of each other two of the most beautiful small birds you can imagine.
In the summer I often see yellow wagtails dancing along the road verges, but you never get a chance to appreciate how beautiful they really are up close with the most vibrant yellow plumage..
Sadly I could now clearly see it. These wonderful birds had travelled huge distances to come to this place on their spring migration ( I think from africa). they faced enormous challenges on the way both natural , and unfortunately man made. Such tiny vulnerable things facing such odds. incredible.
They came to a place following an instinct that felt right. However that once fertile life filled place has been replaced by a man made barren widerness that we would call modern farmland.
The only pickings to be had here now are meager ones to be found along the road verges along which with many other species they are forced to congregate.
The chances of survival and raising a family are hard enough, but now they increasingly face a new threat, OUR ADDICTION TO SPEED.
I call it the TOP GEAR EFFECT because that programme glorifies the whole thing. The cars (and trucks/ lorries even tractors) are increasingly built for performance and speed. We value connectivity and saving time.
Modern life forces us to pack a lot in. Following the yellow brick road of the modern family ideal, with all the expectations that accompany it takes an awful lot of sustaining.
The persuit of the '"ideal'''life leads to packed agendas and not enough time. Whats so ideal about that?
The stresses of modern life, the haste , the sheer pace of it is creating an increasing number of victims. Broken families, broken health, burnouts. Broken spirits.
And then the countless roadside victims like the broken swallows and the broken wagtails that we get to see.
All far too many victims of a broken modern world.
PLEASE SLOW DOWN AND BE MIND-FULL OF THE LIFE AROUND YOU.