The Bird I Would Be...

Well I don’t know if I have expressed what my favorite bird is… but here it goes. I love seagulls… Yes, the rats of the sky, of the sea, and of your picnic basket. Why? Good question. To the average hater, seagulls:

• ·        are annoying
• ·        eat your food
• ·        fly around in your sunlight while you’re trying to tan
• ·        make the horrific squawking noise
• ·        blah, blah, enter complaint here

Anyways, Seagulls live and congregate around the beach. I love the beach, and as a college student if there is one place I’d rather be than class it’s at the beach, particularly St. Pete Beach. Earlier this afternoon, my roommate, Steph Galvin, told me I needed to describe and explain my love for seagulls, I told her that was practically impossible because they are such indescribable creatures. But I’m going to try to explain to you – my readers – why they are so important to me. Even though you may hate them, you see them everywhere. I don’t know if you have noticed or not, but their wingspan is broken; sort of bent in half. Please observe picture below:

Purposefully broken, and not to get all godly on some people, but they were made that way… For some reason that broken-ness, that imperfect wingspan, draws me to them. I feel like I have a connection with them, and I personally think all people should. I’m not perfect, we aren’t perfect, and no one is perfect. But seagulls face hurricane strength winds, they get rolled around in the waves, and even still, there are always plenty to occupy the beach.  Seagulls aren’t mysterious and wise like owls, or endangered and honored like eagles. However, to me seagulls show strength and persistence. They are a symbol of life; life with its ups and downs, its beautiful days, and its ugly days.

One of my favorite pictures I have ever taken is of a seagull flying into the sunset. Being able to capture a seagull with a sunset leaves one impression on my mind… a promise for tomorrow… not exactly sure how I get to that conclusion, but when the sun sets, I think of it rising again the next morning. I think of how seagulls will go on with a new day; continuing to live and annoy the crap out of everyone, except me. I don’t expect you to love seagulls now, but give them a chance. The imperfection in their wings could remind us all that we aren’t perfect, but it’s our imperfections that make each and every one of us unique and lovable.