“Be what you is.”

I’m in the rainy woods, expecting nothing much. I see some wet crows, hunched and unmoving on high branches.

I spot a thrush close to the ground, and check to see if it’s a Wood Thrush, once common here. A little rusty red would be good. Turns out, it’s a Swainson’s Thrush, as drab as the day.

But the day is what it is. I’m not complaining. This thought reminds me of another sighting…

It wasn’t in the woods. It was on Facebook. I’m not a Facebook guy by nature, but its power to communicate has caught my interest.

Two-Fisted Birdwatcher has a Facebook page. The people who signed on to it are pretty interesting. Many are the non-conformists I’d hoped were out there.

Recently one of these people gave a thumbs-up, and this led readers to the person’s own page. It listed some famous quotations under the heading, “philosophy.”

I liked the quotes. I was reminded of one just now…the “is what it is” idea about this rainy day.

When I get out of the woods, I’m going to take a second look at that quote, and some of the others.

Meanwhile, I’m going to stand under this tree a little longer. You never can tell what you might see here.

A sampling of quotations found on the Facebook page of a person I don’t know. The first one is my favorite:

“Be what you is, ’cause if you be what you ain’t, then you ain’t what you is.” – Luther Price

If you’re going through hell, keep going.” – Winston Churchill

“The cure for anything is salt water. Sweat, tears, or the sea.” – Isak Dinesen

“The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people are so full of doubts.” – Bertrand Russell

“I’d rather be told to ‘have a nice day’ by someone who doesn’t mean it than to ‘f**k off’ by someone who does.” – Sean Locke

3 Responses to ““Be what you is.””

  1. I like the Isak Dinesen one. Work, cry, or let it all wash away. Nice.

  2. Georgy says:

    Oh – I really like the Winston Churchill quote . . . ” . . . Keep Going.”
    Thanks!
    -g-

  3. bob meyers says:

    those birds are comfortable in their own skins (feathers)