 |
| A pair of Phoenicopterus ruber plasticus birds feed among the vines next to my backyard goldfish pond. The Pepto-Bismol colored birds are favorite objects of backyard decoration kitsch among many gardeners, including myself. Every time I sit by my pond, contemplating my garden, and see the flamingos looking back at me with their beady black eyes, they make me smile. The Phoenicopterus ruber plasticus is a late addition to the planet's fauna. It emerged full-grown from the mind of sculptor Don Featherstone in 1957. He was a recent art-school graduate at the time and, in a tough job market, he took a job with Union Products, a maker of plastic lawn ornaments. It was for them that he created the pink plastic flamingo and as soon as they hit the stores, they started flying off the shelves. The rest, as they say, is history. It has since, as The New York Times wrote recently in their obituary for Mr. Featherstone, "been flaunted in front yards by the millions; feted in films, on television and in song; and held up as an object of impassioned pride and equally impassioned prejudice." The popularity of the birds must have been a pleasant surprise to Mr. Featherstone and his employers. They had created a cultural phenomenon, and, even in the twenty-first century, it seems in no danger of going on the endangered species list. And how many people get to say that they have accomplished such a feat in their lives? Mr. Featherstone died last Monday, but his birds live on. R.I.P. Don Featherstone and thanks for giving us the bird! |
How about we share another Mary Oliver poem? After all, you can never have too many of those. In this one, the poet seems to acknowledge that it is often hard to simply live in and enjoy the moment, perhaps because we are afraid it can't last. She urges us to give in to that moment and fully experience the joy. Although "much can never be redeemed, still, life has some possibility left." Don't Hesitate by Mary Oliver If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty of lives and whole towns destroyed or about to be. We are not wise, and not very often kind. And much can never be redeemed. Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps this is its way of fighting back, that sometimes something happens better than all the riches or power in the world. It could be anything, but very likely you notice it in the instant when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the case. Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid of its plenty. Joy is no...
What a welcome addition to the fauna of the planet. :-)
ReplyDeleteThey certainly add a unique color to it!
DeleteI don't have this particular species in my garden, but when I see them in other people's gardens they always make me smile:)
ReplyDeleteThey are very adaptable, able to survive in many kinds of habitats, and certainly are not endangered!
DeleteYours seem to fit in very well with the jungle-like plants in your yard. Interesting history!
ReplyDeleteThey certainly seem to be at home here.
Delete