The Trilling

While waiting for the Bronco game to come on I went out the back door of my house and heard the trilling of hundreds of birds. I looked up and saw a swirling flock of sand hill cranes. Small V’s of 3 birds joined up with larger V’s of 10 or more. But the swirling mass had no leader. It wasn’t a fur ball of fighter pilot jargon, but rather was a feather ball of turning V’s and individual birds trying to tack onto a leader, who would guide the flock the rest of the way on their migratory flight. Some smaller V’s paid no attention to the large feather ball and followed their leader either east or southeast.

I watched the feather ball for several minutes as it slowly began to gain the semblance of a formation. Then with the still confused trailing birds the mass continued on its migration to the southeast. The younger birds had finally tacked onto a flight leader, while smaller flocks had already gone ahead disregarding the confused feather ball. I analogized their confusion to the uncertainty of the nation’s financial markets. The mass of investors and voters are looking for a leader to tack onto. Smaller groups have already tacked onto a flight leader and some individuals have made their own way without need of a leader.

The disturbing thing is that, finally, the news media’s much longed for and beloved recession is finally here. Now their anointed savior can come to the rescue of a beleaguered and eventually grateful and adoring populace. One has to ask: Who created this swirling political and economic feather ball?  And which direction will the swirling mass eventually turn to as it tacks onto a leader?

From my corner of Main Street & Beech, Rocky Ford, CO

Dr. K