A HOLIDAY STORY FOR YOU!

DO I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES? NO BUT...

In 1974 I was a skinny Twenty Seven year old wannabe writer wondering homeless and almost broke on the streets of Vancouver. Almost because I had Twenty-Five cents in my left Blue Jean pocket and nothing but a hole in my other pocket. Not knowing where to find my next meal forced me to hold on tightly to that quarter.

Gas-town Vancouver was proving to be a strange place! It was the oldest and most itinerant filled part of the city and it was also far from the office towers and beautiful homes of upper middle class Vancouver. The poor and homeless felt less rejected in Gas town and so, being poor and homeless myself, I tried to blend and mingle with the street people. Mingling for me meant watching an old man feeding Pigeons. He placed a few peanuts in his hands and waved his arms gently up and down and I was surprised to see the birds land on his arms and eat the peanuts! The closest I could coax a pigeon with food was three feet before they feathered away. I noticed most of the birds were dust Grey and street smart and yet I saw a few bright multicolored feathers; too pretty to be anything but escapees from a Hutch.

These clever street birds never allowed humans closer than a few feet and so I wondered how the old man managed to land them on his arm?

“How does he do that?” I thought and kept studying until the idea finally struck me! The secret was not to stare at them. The birds were staring first and if you looked directly at them, they were gone!

“Interesting. Very interesting” Then I saw the police car cruising past and decided to walk a few steps to give the impression I had somewhere to go. I stopped when I saw the small bars of Chocolate laid out neatly in rows in the local candy store window. I was starving and so I said good-bye to my last quarter even though I knew the snack would not last long. Only Twenty Five cents and by God I was feeling hungry! When I reached for the quarter I saw the bag of Peanuts...also only Twenty Five Cents.

It was a strange choice! To buy the Peanuts and feed the Pigeons or buy a Chocolate bar and briefly, very briefly stop from starving! My curiosity was always stronger than my intelligence and so I bought the peanuts. I never claimed to be a bright human being and so I carried my treasure to the park and put some peanuts in my hand. Then I exactly imitated the old man and moved my arms gently up and down.

It was worth the pain in my stomach to feel those Pigeons land on my arm and go for my Peanuts.

End of story you would think but no, this is where my life changed completely.

Unknown to me a pretty young lady was standing across the street and watching my effort. She crossed the street and approached me.

“I always wanted to do that!" she said. "Can you show me how?”

Without a word I placed some Peanuts in her hand and gently moved her arm up and down and then I backed away.

“Don't stare at them.” I said. If you do they will fly away.

“Oh my God I can feel them! She laughed! They are on my arm! I can feel them! Thank you! Thank You! I am going to buy you lunch and a Beer!

 Like I said...I don't believe in miracles but.... Happy Holidays!