Tuppence a Bag

In the building next door to my office there is a white-haired old man with a peculiar habit. Shortly after lunchtime every afternoon he is to be found out in the parking lot between our two buildings, where he scatters the remainder of his lunch for the birds to eat. Mind you, it’s not bird seed or some dainty crumbs. His aviary smorgasbord consists of hunks of sandwich, potato chips, Cheetos, and all manner of torn up snack food. In fact, his unorthodox feedings usually include just about anything a bird’s cardiologist would scorn. It probably doesn’t matter, however, because all of his beneficiaries are crows. Perhaps the image of a strange old man feeding Cheetos to crows in a parking lot doesn’t warm your heart, but I’m always reminded of the old woman who sells the pigeon food in Mary Poppins. “Feed the birds. Tuppence a bag,” she would say. The imagery in the movie suggests that although the responsible thing was for the children to invest their savings in the bank, the few cents required to feed the birds seemed more intriguing … and, perhaps, more satisfying. I know that when our own children were young we used to save any bread or cereal that became remotely stale and then we’d go feed ducks and seagulls until they were probably sick. As we rush through our own lives such simple pleasures are often overlooked, passed by on the way to whatever our next event is. Yet, we also miss out on the simple joy which can come from such things. What little things have you been running out of time for lately that you used to have time for? It takes so little effort feed a few birds, buy a flower for someone, share an ice cream cone … whatever. I try to look for opportunities to enjoy those kinds of things whenever possible. I definitely pause for sunsets more than I used to, and no matter how late I am I always stop at lemonade stands. Life has all sorts of little surprises for those willing to invest a few tuppence and a moment to enjoy their fruits. Like you, my initial response was to assume that an old man feeding junk food to crows must be crazy. However, upon further refection, maybe he’s just happy … and there’s nothing wrong with that.