Curiosity

A couple of years we were having a visit and some drinks on our friend’s docked boat in the harbor. As it grew darker there was a bit of a commotion around the corner of the pier. An old beat up fishing boat captained by a couple of guys who were struggling to get it into the Bay. Hitting the pillars. Back and forth. Curses and clamor. Think parallel parking woes in reverse for a visual. Laughs and apologies for the foul language when they noticed us there. The struggle was, I’d say, because they had their fair share of drinks already in them. That’s my opinion anyway. It was comical.

I asked my friend, “Where on earth are they going at this time of night?”

He said, “They’re fishing for shrimp.”

I countered, “At night?”

“Yes, the shrimp are burrowed in the sand and these guys will cast a big chain. The disturbance will cause the shrimp to rear their tiny little heads to see what’s going on and then they’re caught in the net. Bam, that’s it.”

“What happens then? Are they sold? Are they tasty?”

“Nope, they are not tasty at all. Not good shrimp. This is stuff that gets sold at the dock to be bought by local Asian restaurants.”

What???

That just raised more questions in my mind.

He continued, “So, Mary, remember this. Curiosity kills more than the cat.”

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Just Curious Is All

I am, by nature, a curious sort. Born that way.

The other day I was looking out the back window at the birds.

I said, aloud, “Wow. So many Blackbirds.”

“Wonder where they’ve all been.”

“Why are they called Red-winged Blackbirds when they sure look orange to me?”

“Wonder why they have that orange on their wings anyway?”

Turned away from the window and my husband was staring and laughing at me.

He asked, “Are you done talking to the window?”

I replied, “Just curious is all.” 🙂

I figured the red (or orange) blaze probably had something to do with males displaying their bad, colorful selves to attract the ladies. I knew, since I was a little kid and learned (much to my dismay) that the pretty red Cardinal was the male, that the boy birds were nothing but a bunch of show-offs.

But my curiosity is not sated by my guessing or figuring. It’s actually stoked. I am so curious that I have to actually go and look this up later. I use the Dewey Decimal system. Okay, I just google it. And then I am satisfied. Sort of.

According to the different sources I checked there is absolutely no mention of orange. Just red! What?? Even if you google “Orange-winged Blackbird” it automatically comes up with “Red-winged Blackbird.” Like it’s a gaming system that’s been “fixed.” I typed orange!!!! I’m just wondering who has money on red! And how much????? LOL

For me, because curiosity is inherent, it just means that the day I am not curious is the day I’m not myself.

Message for the week. Be true to yourself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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