February 16, 2015
Birds and Souls
It is Sunday and I am sitting in my cube reading an excellent book "Killing Patton" by Bill O'Reilly. As I look out my window I see a chain link fence, razor wire, a parking lot and the medium security prison located next door. ( no complaints, at least I have a window). Almost daily, a strange thing happens in the afternoon. A group of large birds begins circling over the entrance to the medium security prison. At first, I could not identify the species but one landed near me on the track and I confirmed what I had anticipated- "Turkey Vultures"- big, ugly birds that pick over the carcasses of dead animals.
For some reason, the Vultures really bother me. Perhaps, it bring back scary memories from my childhood when I watched Alfred Hitchcock's movie, "The Birds". I will never forgot that movie!
The turkey vultures spend hours floating in a circular motion in the updrafts waiting to drop down and snatch up the carcass of some dead thing. As I watch, I envision them coming for the souls of the prisoners who reside in the medium security prison next door. The vultures eventually leave, but they always return and continue their search the next day.
I guess I am worried about my own soul. I want something far greater than a turkey vulture to come for it, when it is my time to pass.
In fact, it is 1:55 pm, time to go to church and work on saving my soul to make sure the turkey vultures do not get it!
Ken Flaska
