This calls to mind the story (likely urban myth...?) of a casualty in full scuba gear found inland after a forest fire. The explanation being a plane that dropped a haul of ocean water to fight the fire which was pulled from the ocean and included an unsuspecting diver.
A theory here is that the bird could only fly as far as the nearest house, with its weighty freight, then stopped to rest (or chow down) at the top of the nearest chimney. Then, ....whoops!
I firmly believe that one (likely one who is part of the subset of IC devotees) can be both in awe of a miracle and appreciate it on a metaphysical level, but also perversely curious about science and a physical explanation.
"your capacity for awe is like a muscle that you can train and develop"
This totally resonates with me. I tend to observe a lot on a daily basis, curious about things, and I just cannot imagine living a life not having any capacity for awe or curiosity, or wonder.
It's not nearly as dramatic as a fish in flying down your chimney and into your living room, but I think I have one of these weird "miracles" that happened to me once years ago.
I was at work in an office and somehow broke a paper clip into two neat U shapes. I absentmindedly just tossed aside the two parts into my trash container, which also held a small padded envelope which was jammed into a vertical position in the trash. Somehow, the two U's hooked onto the top of the envelope and remained there. Another one-in-a-million occurence.
Great article. I get the “wonder” fascination. I’m not really spiritually inclined either, but coincidentally weird stuff that seems supernatural is quite amazing. By the way, “flue fish”? Hysterical! Also, when you were writing about all the variables with the bird carrying/dropping the fish, I immediately began reciting in my head the Monty Python scene regarding the possibility of swallows carrying coconuts. 😂
This calls to mind the story (likely urban myth...?) of a casualty in full scuba gear found inland after a forest fire. The explanation being a plane that dropped a haul of ocean water to fight the fire which was pulled from the ocean and included an unsuspecting diver.
A theory here is that the bird could only fly as far as the nearest house, with its weighty freight, then stopped to rest (or chow down) at the top of the nearest chimney. Then, ....whoops!
I firmly believe that one (likely one who is part of the subset of IC devotees) can be both in awe of a miracle and appreciate it on a metaphysical level, but also perversely curious about science and a physical explanation.
cheers to both mindset(s)!
"your capacity for awe is like a muscle that you can train and develop"
This totally resonates with me. I tend to observe a lot on a daily basis, curious about things, and I just cannot imagine living a life not having any capacity for awe or curiosity, or wonder.
It's not nearly as dramatic as a fish in flying down your chimney and into your living room, but I think I have one of these weird "miracles" that happened to me once years ago.
I was at work in an office and somehow broke a paper clip into two neat U shapes. I absentmindedly just tossed aside the two parts into my trash container, which also held a small padded envelope which was jammed into a vertical position in the trash. Somehow, the two U's hooked onto the top of the envelope and remained there. Another one-in-a-million occurence.
I can see this as a story Ripley's Believe it or Not would have ran in its newspaper cartoon strip back in the day.
Very Aeschylus-coded.
But now we must answer the question: What is the airspeed velocity of an unladen osprey?
This is the best thing I have read in a long time. I feel like maybe the fish was a gift from nature, from the bird, from fate?
Great article. I get the “wonder” fascination. I’m not really spiritually inclined either, but coincidentally weird stuff that seems supernatural is quite amazing. By the way, “flue fish”? Hysterical! Also, when you were writing about all the variables with the bird carrying/dropping the fish, I immediately began reciting in my head the Monty Python scene regarding the possibility of swallows carrying coconuts. 😂
I came to the comments purely to make sure someone referenced Monty Python. Well done you 🙏