Darla Henry, M.S., CPT, Baptist Health Weight Loss Program Health Educator

Robins are wonderful birds, don’t you think? They are the first birds to sing in the morning and the first birds to lay their eggs in the spring. They appreciate a freshly mown lawn and are able to get around by both hopping and flying. However, I have discovered a disturbing trait about robins – they are arrogant. Yes, you read that correctly, robins are arrogant, conceited, ego-maniacs. This character flaw is not listed on the National Audubon Society website, but I assure you it is true.

While stumbling back to the house after my exhausting jog, I was accosted by one pompous fowl. Now, you must understand that I love animals – big animals, small animals, hairy animals, slimy animals (well, maybe not all slimy animals). So, I welcomed the sight of a feathered friend. Nevertheless, I soon discovered that this red-breasted thrush was a thrill-seeker and I was to play the “thrill”. My sharp-beaked comrade decided to amuse himself with his own version of the game “chicken”. You remember this game, right? The game your parents warned you to never take part in once you received your driver’s license? The game involves two drivers driving toward each other on a collision course: one must swerve, or both may die in the crash. The one who swerved will be called a “chicken”.

This nine-inch, two-ounce, songbird charlatan, decided to engage a five-foot-five inch, more than two-ounce, human in this madcap contest. As I staggered home, weary from my jog, little Mr. Narcissist decided that he would hop within a few inches of my feet, causing me to swerve my spent pedals to avoid squashing his tiny frame. This went on for several minutes with said feathered egotist hopping in front of me, then to the side, or me moving to the side. Which made me wonder, does this tiny plumaged show-off realize that he would end up on the losing end if I decided not to play the part of “chicken”? (more…)