Heroes Not Zombies

The starlings around here form the biggest flocks. At certain times I can hear a whooshing sound caused by the noise of the air pushed aside as hundreds of them take off at the same moment from one of the surrounding vineyards.

There’s also this big tree on the crest of the hill. It’s a real favourite of theirs. They land on it in their thousands I reckon, creating a huge commotion of calls and cries. It sounds as if they are all talking at the same time! What a noise! You can’t ignore it. Then something strange happens. Over the course of a few seconds the entire flock falls silent. When this happens you can be sure that within the next few seconds they are all going to take flight, and that’s what you can see in this photo.

Of course starlings are also famous for murmurations, where as if they are one giant organism, they swoop across the sky, making rapid changes of direction which gives the impression of a giant shape shifting creature playing in the sky.

What impresses me so much though is their way of constantly gathering and dispersing. They seem restless birds and never settle in one particular spot, or formation, for long.

So they are a great example of how Life is about constant change, unceasing movement.

I know that we all learn that it’s good to pause and be still for a few moments, and that’s true. Especially if we want to draw our attention and focus into the here and now. But the truth is, even in the most settled moments, the most peaceful, mindful minutes of meditation or contemplation, that we are still creatures of constant movement. Our breath continues to flow in and out, our heart continues its constant beat, every cell of your being continues its metabolic processes of nourishment and activity.

One definition of a living being highlights this feature of « self movement ». In other words, what distinguishes the animate from the inanimate is this ability to move, to make movements, to act, without the stimulus of any external force.

Another definition focuses on « auto-poiesis » which means « self-making capacity » After all, it’s not just that our cells, organs and systems are constantly moving….they are constantly adjusting, adapting, repairing and growing.

So as I watch the starlings noisily gather and disperse I’m reminded of these rhythms, cycles and activities which we share with all that lives on this planet. I’m reminded of why I use the phrase « becoming not being » at the top of this site……because life really is a process of constant becoming.

I watch, I listen and I am amazed.