This way and that.

I watched a group of great tits just like the ones in this painting yesterday. I think there might have been between twenty and thirty of them they seemed to be very busy flying this way and that. My first noticing of them was when I heard the noise from a bush. Then all at once they flew out of the bush and up into a tree where they sat for a few seconds then without any seeming signal they all in a group moved to the little wall I was passing.

Then they were off back to the bush, then the wall and back to the tree.

Hectic behaviour that seemed to be achieving little or nothing. Of course, I am not aware of how birds interact or how they decide what and where they go. I am aware that they have to eat in a day the equivalent of a third of their body weight to be able to maintain the activity of searching for food.

It, therefore, seemed strange to see them burning off energy is what looked like a useless pursuit.  I am sure there is somebody who will be able to put me right on this behaviour but they did look like the actions of many humans.

A weakness of all human beings is trying to do too many things at once. 

I certainly know that I fall into this and although friends and family frequently tell me to do otherwise I get up each morning wondering how I will manage all that has to be done. 

I frequently end up like those birds and this scatters effort and destroys direction. It makes for haste, and haste makes waste. 

So we do things all the wrong ways possible before we come to the right one. Then we think it is the best way because it works, and it was the only way left that we could see. We set up a routine that we are sure is productive but yesterday having watched those birds I came home and looked closely at my painting method and realised that even in this I was using the scatter effect.

Every now and then I wake up in the morning headed toward that finality, with a dozen things I want to do. I know I can't do them all at once. 

So what do I do? I used to go out and run a few miles. 

While running off the excess energy that wants to do too much, my mind would clear and I see what can be done and should be done first. I also saw what could never be done and did a reschedule. 

I do the same to this very day though no longer running walking achieves the same end.  Otherwise, I end up like that chicken trying to cross the road but more like a headless chicken. 

I hear somebody asking but the time taken up walking could be used to more productive use of the time doing some of those tasks?  But then I would not have the energy or will and even less might get done.

So is it the case that once again nature is not so silly. Was it exercise time for those birds? Having eaten they were now getting stronger to face the morrow?

I am off to spend my day trying hard to meet all the things that need to be done and achieved. have a great day my friends.