I’m Too Busy to Have a Normal Life Anymore

I Have Parrots, You Know

photograph property of author; all rights reserved

The few non-bird-owning friends I have left often express surprise, even alarm, as to what I might be doing in my spare time. I was once known as a woman who was always prompt, who accomplished whatever tasks needed doing, the one who always organized the next yard sale or gathered signatures for a petition. Someone you could depend on.

Now? Well, let’s just say that now I bear more than a passing resemblance to one of those fascinating individuals whose lives have shrunk to orbit a much smaller universe, a world they have created to support the one all-consuming passion that has taken over their existence. For some it’s Irish dancing, for others it’s knitting, or Civil War battle reenactments.

For me, it’s parrots. While all my non-bird-owning friends spend their spare time wind-surfing, volunteering at the hospital, and planning trips to the Caribbean (after helming $50 million corporations, writing movie scripts, and raising 2.5 children), you will find me catering to the needs of three cockatiels and a brown-head parrot. It goes something like this:

5–6:45 a.m. Up and at ’em to prepare organic grains. Good nutrition is vital for shiny feathers! While breakfast is simmering on the stove I awaken my darlings with the gentle reverie of slipping the…