Humor

Beach Bird Boogie

by Carolyn Ahrens 
09/10/20
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Beach Bird Boogie

I truly believe God has a great sense of humor. The bible says in Genesis 1:27, that God created man in his own image. He put laughter and a sense of humor in us, so surely, he must have it as well.

This came to mind today as I was sitting on the beach enjoying the ocean breeze, listening to the waves crashing against the pier, letting my troubled spirit relax and take it all in. Much of the time, sea gulls, black birds, and pigeons, would all congregate around me. I’d never given much thought as to how funny they can be, until today.

I watched them as they walked on the sand, chattering to one another which sounded like human laughter to me. I have a great imagination and wondered if they were cracking jokes at the swimsuit that I was wearing. I have to admit, it looked like something my granny might have worn.

As you usually find on the beach, people were playing music of all different types. The person closest to me had oldies from the 60’s and 70’s playing, which was the music of my day. By that statement, I guess you can figure out that I’m not a spring chicken anymore. My kids joke and say that I’m “old as dirt,” but I tell them I’m an “oldie but a goody.”

While sitting there, I often tapped my foot to the music, and even do a little wiggling or chair dancing as well. Apparently, birds on the beach like this kind of music too.

Over and over, birds would gather in front of me, letting out their cackles and peck around on the sand for any crumbs of food they might find. I noticed a couple of them doing, what I’d call, “Kung Fu Fighting.” One had a chip in its beak, and another wanted to steal it away. The one with the chip was not about to give it up easy. The next thing I knew, it was throwing a side kick that would have made “Bruce Lee” proud! I cackled out loud as the bird repeated these moves a few more times. I wish the song “Kung Fu Fighting” had been playing, because it surely would have been appropriate.

All of the birds flew away except one…this lone pigeon...this would be thief bird. It wasn’t intimidated at all, and began to do some fancy footwork of its own. It began to jump from left to right over and over again, just like you’d see a boxer doing in one of the “Rocky” movies. I had to wonder what the bird with the chip could be thinking. As I watched this pigeon bouncing from side to side, then forward and back, it wasn’t long until the “chip bird” was ready to get down to business.

You may think this crazy, but when the 60’s song “Peppermint Twist” began to play, it was obvious, as the bird dropped its chip, that the party was on.

It started to bob up and down like a cork bobbing in the water. After a few bob’s and strong bounces, it leaned back and raised its leg and shook it vigorously, then with its whole body, did a little “shimmy sham shimmy” almost down to the sand. I thought I’d fall out of my chair as I was laughing so hard. Over and over that bird did its little beach dance…bounce, lift its leg, then shimmy on down to the ground. You might be thinking that I had been out in the heat to long, but this thing, which I now call, the “Beach Bird Boogie,” couldn’t have been done any better if it had been planned out and rehearsed.

I guess the thief bird must have forgotten about the chip altogether. With the other one dropping it and doing its fancy dance moves, the pigeon started its “Rocky” moves once again. As one was bobbing up and down then kicking, the other was swaying back and forth then left to right. If I remember correctly, these are similar moves like what you’d do when dancing to the twist. There couldn’t have been a more perfect song at the time. Whether this was a prelude to some “Kung Fu” fighting about to take place or simply a fluke, I’ll always remember it as the day I saw beach birds dancing to their own beat…enjoying the beautiful weather, and dance tunes so good that it even made God’s feathered creatures, want to shake their tail feathers too.

Thank you, God, for giving us laughter, imagination, and a sense of humor. You surely lifted my spirits. You know when I’m troubled and need to be uplifted, and this day was no exception. You brought to my remembrance this bible scripture and I’d like to share it with others who may be troubled in their soul and need encouragement too:

Isaiah 40:31 “…but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.”