Brief & Beautiful -& The June Growing Edge Podcast
A Song, A Community Question & One Inch Photos
Over the years I’ve been learning to recognize the songs of birds. Ok, I have friends who are true birders (who regularly inspire me) and so I know I have tons to learn. But it has been so lovely to become more aware—song by song, bird by bird. At first the air was filled with a wash of chirps, trills and calls. It was beautiful, and yet it was still a blurry watercolor of sound. But as I learned the unique patterns of individual birds, I found myself delighted and surrounded with the voices of old friends. A bright red cardinal singing “cheer-cheer-cheer-birdie-birdie-birdie”, an Eastern Towhee calling “drink-your-tea-drink-your-tea” from across the pond, the glorious lilt of the double voice boxed Woodthrush, the gossipy chatter of the Purple Finch, the high lonesome call of the Sandhill Crane, the bold and raucous “caw-caw-caw” of the Crow, the liquid sound of the Catbird, the “ack-kak-kak-kak-kak” of the Piliated Woodpecker, the flash and whirl of the tiny Hummingbird, the morning caterwaul “its me -its me- its me” of the Carolina Wren, the heartbreaking twilight song of the Whippoorwill, the nightly questioning “whoo, whoo, who are you” of the Barred Owl, the brrrrrrr and trrillllllll of the Red Winged Black Bird, the sweet “feeeee-beee-feeee-beee” of the small Phoebe proudly speaking its own name. What was a wash of sound has become a bursting with individual color and character. I’m often amazed at the variety and utterly grateful that birds come in so many sizes, shapes, personalities and songs. I’m ever grateful that whatever Luminosity came up with the idea of birds, it didn’t stop with the first effort. Thank goodness birds are not all the same, which I think also applies to so much of nature’s diversity—including the colorful crazy quilt of humankind.
I was reading an article this week that really stopped me in my tracks. It was an article about AI images that are produced when they are prompted to create images of “A beautiful woman.” AI is a reflection of the programmers (often young white males). And so the images were all smiling and Barbie shaped, dressed in flowing dresses, with thick long hair, lots of make-up and mostly lighter skin tones. When prompted to create images of “ugly women” the images were almost all older women, with lined faces and often caricatured features. Impossible images and standards for women (and increasingly for men) is nothing new. But this unapologetic bias was more than a little concerning as AI images begin to populate commercial media. It makes me wonder what images would come up if prompted “a beautiful bird”. Would they all be robins or peacocks, male birds with brighter plumage or patriotic birds of prey like eagles? Would the muted colors of the Woodthrush be opted out of the beautiful bird list, even though it has one of the most beautiful songs i’ve ever encountered. But I digress….diversity is a wonder, a gift and so so so beautiful. And that is the unapologetic truth.
I spend a lot of time in the natural world, because I love it there, but also because it is one of the surest ways I know to stay attuned and connect to that ever present hidden wholeness and to sense what is always moving just below the surface of things. How many times have I started out for a walk in the woods, my head full of the noise of daily living, and by the time I returned home my mind was clearer and my spirit refreshed and tinged at the edges with wonder. By seeking out the places I feel grounded and connected, I can then bring that sense of clarity and wholeness into all the activities of my life.
The theologian and mystic, Dr. Howard Thurman, spoke of an experience he had as a young man when he was in divinity school. In the small hours of the morning, he was returning home after a meeting. As he walked the length of Main Street in Rochester NY, he kept hearing the sound of running water. On that particular day he had a head cold and wondered if the sound was caused by some rumbling or reverberation in his stopped up ears or by the medication he was taking to help with the symptoms. The next day he mentioned his experience of hearing water at 2AM on Main Street to a professor. The professor said, “Oh no, it wasn’t a rumbling in your ears at all. Main Street is built over a canal that connects to the Genoese River.” He then went on to describe how during the day, when there is so much noise from human activity, traffic, automobiles and construction machinery and other clatter, the sound of the canal flowing is covered up and hard to hear. But late at night when most of the city was asleep, you can hear the movement of water. The first miracle is that flowing was actually there all the time. The second miracle was that he were present and awake at that hour to hear and appreciate that something real and life-giving was always moving just beneath the surface of the seen world.
It was interesting to me, that at first he doubted his own experience, wondering if something external was altering his perception, but then in conversation with a trusted mentor, his experience was affirmed. He heard what he heard. Sometimes we know what we know, and perhaps deep down we may have known it for a long time. But it helps to be in conversation with wise and trusted companions on life’s practical and spiritual journey. I feel that way often about this lovely Gathering of Spirits community. There is a great deal of collective wisdom here my friends. I mean, I’m blown away regularly at how respectfully and graciously ya’all care for one another. The world is not so hard and scary when you know there are others…close by and around the world who care, who question, who are doing what they can (each in their own way and with their own understanding) to bring in the better world.
This is a song I wrote about my own experience with listening for what is always present, always moving just below the surface of things. It about the call of birds and the call of the spirit, the call of the true heart and the experiences we all have with the sacred in brief and beautiful moments…..It’s called Every Little Bit Of It, from A Permeable Life.
Question
Have you ever has an experience like Dr. Thurman….when you noticed something in a quiet moment that you might have missed in the noise of a busy day?
Our June The Growing Edge Podcast With Carrie Newcomer & Parker J. Palmer Is Now Available
You can listen here, or on Substack, I-Tunes, Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts!
The Growing Edge June Podcast: Episode 56: “Toughness for a Gentle World”—A Conversation about May Sarton’s Poem “An Observation”.
In this episode, Parker and I explore May Sarton’s poem, “An Observation.” Gardening is rich with metaphors for a well-lived life. Amend and prepare the soil. Plant the seeds, tend them, and weed out whatever impedes growth. Marvel at the process and share the harvest: we’re here to feed one another as well as ourselves. “An Observation” offers a less obvious metaphor: a well-lived life needs to be both gentle and strong, tender and fierce.
We hope you’ll join us for this rich conversation!
As always many thanks to our producer, Alison Quartz, for production, direction and creative editing.
Visit our website for the full archives of The Growing Edge Podcast. If you enjoy the podcast please remember to rate us on I-Tunes, Spotify to help us reach new listeners and grow the conversation!
Also if you would like to get The Growing Edge Substack Newsletter visit our Substack page with the link below.
Since We’re Talking About Beauty In Diversity… A Shout Out….Let’s Celebrate June As LGBTQ+ & Pride Month!
Summer Schedule
My tour schedule will be limited this summer as I take a little time to write and listen to the bird calls and lean into some creative time :-) Here are my upcoming public shows. You can get more information at my website tour page www.carrienewcomer.com/tour
One Inch Photos
Garlic Scapes cut this morning. Scapes are the buds of the garlic plant. You have to cut them so that the energy of the plant goes into making the bulb of garlic and not the flower! They make a yummy pesto.
I recently got the Cornell bird identifier app "Merlin" and turn it on every morning while walking my dog. I have been amazed at the variety of birds, from Carolina wren to tufted titmouse and wood thrush. Just like you Carrie, what was once just a background noise has now become a delight as I try to identify each song or chirp here in Virginia.
Yesterday evening just before sunset I walked a familiar path near my house. I noticed the green growing of an unmown yard I walk by so often, tiny flowers and plants growing between cracks in the sidewalk and spaces of a fence, the last light of day shining on my face as I walked uphill. A voice in my heart said, “I believe, I believe,” in time with the rhythm of my steps, the rhythm of my breath; I believe what I see and what I cannot see, what I name and what I cannot name. Thank you, Carrie, for your thoughts and music and pictures!